12. Fenric #2
Fenric clapped a hand on his slender shoulder and squeezed.
“Go help Belstrom. It always takes him forever to pack up all his damn books. After that, you can either walk with me to Bjornkill or ride with the others on Rain’s ship as he moves it down the coast.” At the mention of Rain’s ship, he could see the interest wipe away the last of Maxie’s worries.
Fenric lowered his voice to a near whisper and bent his head so he was almost speaking directly into his ear.
“But I’ll warn you, it’s a four-hour walk to Bjornkill.
It’ll take only two hours to reach it by ship, but it’s about an hour-long trip from Pomor to get to where it’s docked.
Not to mention another hour of Rain getting that bucket ready to sail, so we’d probably all arrive about the same time anyways. ”
“It’s a ship!” Rain bellowed from the second floor, proving the bastard had absurdly good hearing when he wanted.
“But even a two-hour ride on a ship seems easier than walking the entire way. Why are you taking the road?” Maxie asked.
He was a sharp one.
Fenric straightened. “Couple reasons. One, I always like to scout the region before I head into a town, get a feel for the terrain and the people before I find myself closed in by walls—and Bjornkill is big enough to have walls. Second, there are times when we find trouble, and it’s best if we separate, going in different directions to meet up at a prearranged location.
Walking the road means I’ll have valuable information to share with my brothers in mischief. ”
“You’re so smart,” Maxie said. “I want to walk with you.”
“Good. Hurry and help Belstrom pack. I’ll shout when I’m ready to go.”
As it was, he’d need less than five minutes to gather his own things.
Life as a thief had taught him to not form sentimental attachments.
He tried to keep little more than what he could easily pack up at a moment’s notice.
Aside from the scant few of his mother’s treasures he’d already reclaimed, the only true keepsake from his life so far was a miniature portrait of his mother from when she first had him.
Less than an hour later, Fenric was on the winding dirt road from Pomor to Bjornkill.
Where Pomor felt like barely more than a speck, Bjornkill was a booming port town with thousands of occupants.
Then there were hundreds more coming in and out of the town constantly as they moved goods through the region.
Pomor was a forgettable town—little more than a village—where people looking to cash in on their mediocre bounties weren’t likely to think of searching for a group of villains.
While Bjornkill was by no means a city, its size and huge crowds promised to provide them with more places to hide.
Plus, if they stirred up a bit of trouble, they could possibly move to another district in Bjornkill and still keep a low profile. That just wasn’t possible in Pomor.
It wasn’t a bad day to be kicked out of their temporary home. At least the sky had cleared after the previous night’s rainfall. Unfortunately, though, it was also the middle of summer. By the time they hit the road, the sun was already attempting to roast the world.
Fenric had a pack on his back filled with all his worldly possessions. In a pouch on his hip were enough coins to get by for a few days, thanks to a small loan from Hapi, and on his other shoulder was a bag of food. Not to mention, he had a pretty good traveling partner.
Maxie had a spring in his step as he headed down the road, his wide eyes taking in the rolling hills and scattering of farms and occasional fellow travelers.
In the week he’d stayed with the group, they’d managed to get the poor kid a couple of changes of clothes.
They were made of rougher material than his old ones but far more durable, which was a better fit for his new life.
It also didn’t hurt that Maxie wore them with his head held high, as if he were still wearing his fancy aristocratic garb.
“Is this the first time your gang has been kicked out of their house?”
Fenric erupted in loud laughter. His whole body shook, and he almost tripped over his feet as he stumbled to get his balance again.
“Gods, no! I’ve lost count of the number of times we’ve been kicked out.
Mostly it’s because Malfas has blown things up with his magic.
But there were a few times people complained of Hapi bringing his work home with him.
Necromancers naturally have a way of making people nervous. ”
Fenric shoved a hand through his hair, pushing it back from his face, which was lightly streaked with sweat.
“I’ll admit, though, I talked to Hapi last night about needing to scout Bjornkill soon.
Pomor was largely a bust for me in terms of earning a little coin.
Would have been nice to get our deposit back, though.
” Dropping his hand back to his side, he shrugged and released a sigh.
“But what are you gonna do? There was no point in staying in Pomor any longer. It was a boring little town with nothing much to offer.”
“Is Bjornkill bigger? More exciting? I’ve heard of Briani and Talmae, but not Bjornkill.”
Fenric scrunched up his face in thought.
It had been a while since his last visit to Bjornkill, and even that had been brief.
“Definitely bigger, but there are anthills bigger than Pomor. Bjornkill’s not one of the biggest towns in Moorwood, mind you, but it is a popular stopover before reaching Briani and Talmae, which are bigger towns with giant ports for trade, especially trade with other kingdoms. Bjornkill is lesser known, mostly just trades with other Moorwood towns, and will have a smaller dock fee for Rain to pay. ”
Maxie continued to pepper Fenric with questions about Bjornkill, his travels, and what it was like to be a devilish rogue thief.
It was an enjoyable way to pass the morning hours.
Around midday, they stopped under a copse of trees to enjoy the shade and a pleasant breeze.
In the distance, they could make out farms dotting the surrounding green hills.
Maxie’s dark olive skin appeared to deepen in color from the sun, but he seemed to be having no trouble keeping up with Fenric’s brisk pace.
He might have spent his life as a merchant’s or noble’s son, but there was no sign of him passing the time as a lazy lump.
Fenric could easily imagine him spending hours in fencing lessons and horseback training.
They munched on a light lunch of cheese, bread, and apples before finally approaching the larger town, where a group of travelers awaited entry.