Healer (Brotherhood of the Throne Book 2) Page 17

  “That’ll ruin trade for a few days.” Leila said when Kane reached her. “‘Specially now they said they’d be back.” She ran hand through her hair. “It’s a good thing ye made ‘im laugh, Arlott, else ye’d be indentured t’ the mines, like as not.”

  “But I didn’t do anything.”

  “Don’t matter when ye’re dealin’ with the councilmen. They don’t let a little thing like what’s right get in the way,” Leila said.

  Brenna stepped back from the kitchen door, her chest pounding. The minute Kane had reached her through the old steel she’d known exactly who and what these men were - she’d seen enough of them in her life. They went by different names in each town but they were all small men trying to feel bigger by wielding their authority with cruelty and contempt. Hidden, she’d watched men like this visit Duke Thorold, groveling before him in order to gain his favor before returning to their small lives to terrorize their families and neighbors.

  Sliding her knife back into its sheath Brenna sat down by the fire. She’d been prepared to fight rather than run and leave Kane and Yowan but there was no way she would have let them take her alive. She’d have brought the whole mountain down on them if she’d had to.

  “They’re gone.” Kane stepped through the door, followed by Yowan and Leila.

  “Along with all my trade,” Leila said. “Eat what ye want, stew and bread, we’ll not sell more tonight.” She looked around the kitchen. “Where’s Huw?”

  “I sent him out back to hide in the stable.” Brenna said and Leila nodded. “I saw no reason to have him here. If they wanted to see anyone it would be me, not the kitchen boy.”

  “I’m grateful. I’ll find ‘im afore he falls asleep. He’ll as like want some stew so leave a bit for ‘im.” Leila went to the door but stopped and turned around. “And Jemma? Those things you were askin’ about today? I’ll get ‘em tomorrow.”

  “I’ll come with you. There may be other spices I could use.” Brenna held her breath until Leila gave a quick nod and then left the room.

  “What was that about?” Kane asked.

  “I asked Leila for some different spices,” Brenna said. “She told me no today but something’s changed her mind.”

  “The councilmen,” Kane said. “They told her they’re coming back tomorrow and they want to something other than tonight’s stew.”

  “She took it hard,” Yowan said. “I think if she doesn’t have something different things won’t go well for her.”

  “Well, there’s no worry about that,” Brenna said. “I can cook up something different with what we can get tomorrow. If I didn’t know it would be worse for Leila I’d be tempted to put a little extra in their food and make sure the councilmen had to stay close to the privy for a few days.” Brenna grinned. “As it is I’m feeling a little grateful to them right now - the only place to get spices and herbs tomorrow is from a healer.”

  Brenna found Leila in the kitchen, asking Polly not to make so much bread today. The news that the councilmen were returning to the Iron Demon tonight would travel fast, Leila told Brenna, and they could expect very few customers for the next few days. The councilmen had complete authority over the town and no one wanted to anger them and end up indentured or imprisoned.

  “And it’s best ye stay out of sight as well, Brenna,” Leila said with a sigh. “Though they might want to see ye anyways. I’ll have Fern and Huw stay away. I’d send Ma to her sister’s if she’d go. She’s not got the touch for being polite any more. Comes with age, she says.”

  Brenna smiled. “I think it comes with being stubborn - I have the same problem at times.” But I can get myself out of it with magic.

  The two of them donned their cloaks and Leila handed Brenna a basket covered with a cloth.

  “Let me talk,” Leila said. “We don’t want anyone askin’ questions about you where we’re goin’.”

  Even this early the streets of Blackwall were filled with men wearing dirt-stained clothes and grim faces headed toward the looming face of the mountain. Leila, with Brenna behind her, stepped into the crowd that flowed towards the mine.

  When the sun hit the mountain Brenna saw the scars of the mine - deep ridges cut into the black rock-face. Platforms of wood clung to the rock and men scrambled up and down ladders between them. Large buckets were lowered and raised on ropes - one tipped, sending a cascade of rock tumbling down. A miner walking in front of them grunted and shook his head.

  They followed the nearly silent crowd to a narrow gate. Two guards in dark brown tunics watched the crowd stream past. One spotted Brenna and Laurel and waved them over.

  “What are ye two doin’?” he asked, eying them. “Women can’t visit the mines, ‘cept if yer man’s died. We ain’t had no accidents today.”

  “We’re lookin’ fer the healer, Master,” Leila said, her head bowed. “My Ma’s sister is ailin’ and nothin’ we have is helpin’.” Leila turned and lifted the cloth from the basket Brenna carried. “We’ve brought bread and real butter to trade.”

  The second guard came over and they each reached in and grabbed two thick slices of Polly’s bread. “Get on wit’ ye,” the second man said around a mouthful of bread. “And don’t take too much of her time. She’ll be needed soon, like as not.”

  Leila grabbed Brenna’s arm and hurried her through the gate. They dodged men and wagons and piles of rock until they finally came to a small wooden hut built into the side to the mountain. Leila rapped on the rough plank door and stood back, waiting, as the sound of footsteps came from inside the hut. Finally the door was opened and a small woman peered out at them. Brenna sucked in her breath. This was her grandmother - the resemblance to her mother was unmistakable.

  “Yes?” she asked. Her voice so soft that Brenna had to strain to hear it.

  “We’ve come to trade, Mistress Healer,” Leila bobbed her head while Brenna simply stood and stared.

  Her grandmother’s brown hair was sprinkled liberally with gray and her face was worn and lined. She lifted tired eyes to Leila first and then her gaze settled on Brenna and her eyes widened. Did her grandmother recognize her? It was all she could do to keep from grabbing onto her. Instead she dropped her gaze, hoping her grandmother wouldn’t say anything in front of Leila.

  “Come in.” The healer stepped aside and they entered. “I’m Madelay,” she said when they were all inside.

  “I’m Leila and this is Jemma.” Leila took the basket from Brenna and lifted the cloth. Underneath, hidden so the guards couldn’t see, she’d placed yet more bread and butter as well as a few pieces of dried meat. “I hope this will be enough for trade?”

  Madelay walked over to the single chair and sat down heavily. Brenna took a step closer, then stopped.

  “That depends on what you want to trade for,” Madelay said, staring at Brenna.

  “Spices,” Brenna said. “Some thyme, maybe cloves and garlic if you have it.” She looked into Madelay’s brown eyes, so much like her mother’s and looked away again.

  “I have those,” Madelay said. “Not many people would know that.”

  Brenna took a step closer. “My mother was a healer, taught by her mother,” she said softly. She heard Leila’s gasp but her eyes were locked with Madelay’s. Brenna let the spell fall from her eyes. Her grandmother’s surprise turned to calm satisfaction and then she smiled. Brenna quickly spelled her eyes again.

  “Seer,” Madelay whispered, so quiet that that only Brenna heard her.

  “Runs in my family,” Brenna replied. “As my grandfather reminded me just yesterday.”

  Madelay put a hand to her heart and Brenna saw a tear collect in the corner of her eye before she wiped it away.

  “Well then. Let’s get you what you asked for.” Madelay stood and went over to a long worktable. She rifled through her jars and pouches until she found what she was looking for. With shaking hands she transferred the herbs to small cloths that she twisted and tied.

  “This should be a fair enough trade.”
Madelay handed the bundles to Brenna and Brenna held her grandmother’s hands for a few seconds.

  “Fair, yes. Thank you,” Brenna said. I’ll be back, she thought as hard as she could, we’ll come get you. Brenna turned to find that Leila had emptied the bread and meat onto the table. She avoided the other woman’s glare while she placed the bundles into the basket.

  They had no reason to linger so they left the hut. Brenna took one look back over her shoulder. The door was cracked open and she could see Madelay peering out at them. We’ll come get you, Brenna promised.

  They made their way back past the gate, where the guards noted their passage, and back to the Iron Demon. Once in the kitchen Leila whirled on her.

  “You never said yer ma was a witch,” she said. “I’d never have let ye in the door if I’d known.”

  “I know.” Brenna started taking the small bundles out of the basket. “I learned not to tell long ago.” She looked up and met Leila’s glare steadily. Eventually the other woman looked away.

  “I’m just tryin’ to look after me and mine.”

  “As am I,” Brenna said as Leila left the kitchen. She heard the door from the yard open and Yowan entered, a worried look on his face, followed by Kane.

  “It’s her,” Brenna said. Yowan’s face crumpled at her words. “It’s Madelay.” She took two steps and then his arms came around her and she held her grandfather as he quietly sobbed into her hair.

  “Shhh, we can’t be too obvious.” Brenna smiled and looked over his shoulder at Kane. “Leila already knows I lied to her. She heard me tell Madelay my mother was a healer.”

  Kane nodded. “After you told her she worked for a spice merchant. Yowan,” he placed a hand on his shoulder. “You and I need to look in on the horses. Brenna, meet us there as soon as you can.” Brenna gently withdrew from Yowan and Kane led him out the door.

  Kane sat on a bale of hay just inside the door to the stall that housed Runner and Blaze. A few steps away Yowan poured water over his head, letting the water flow into a trough. He shook his head, sending droplets flying. The two horses backed away from the spray before they settled down again. Kane threw Yowan a cloth to dry off with.

  “Thanks,” Yowan wiped his face, “though this smells a bit like horse.”

  “We’re in a stable,” Kane said. “I didn’t know you were going to wet yourself down.”

  Yowan tossed the wet cloth onto the hay bale. “I can’t believe Brenna’s found my Mad. When I first heard she was alive I didn’t trust myself to hope again, but now that she’s seen her, I want to go haring off after her right now.”

  “As would I if it was Brenna.” If it was Brenna he’d have been out the door the minute she’d been confirmed. And probably caught a short time after that. “We’ll get her, Yowan, we’ll get her.” He felt a tug on old steel, Brenna telling him she was close.

  “I know,” Yowan said. “I don’t know if I’ve ever met any two people as determined as Brenna and you.”

  “What about me and Kane?” Brenna asked as she stepped into the stall. She took a few steps to Blaze’s side and petted her before turning back to the two men.

  “Yowan was just saying we two are very determined,” Kane said.

  “Is that a kind way of saying stubborn?” Brenna walked over to the hay bale and sat down beside him. He edged over a little, making room.

  “I’m not sure,” Kane said. “Yowan?”

  “Stubborn, determined, call it what you want as long as it gets my Mad free.”

  “That’s what we’re going to do,” Kane said. “Brenna, I need to know everything. Where she is, what kinds of guards are around, everything.”

  It took Brenna less than half an hour to detail her morning outing. Kane didn’t like the fact that Madelay was outside the town walls. Could they turn that that into an advantage? Brenna left for the kitchen - she had to cook the new meal for the councilmen – while Kane and Yowan would spend the afternoon in Blackwall. They needed to add to Brenna’s information and look at all the other places where guards patrolled.

  Kane pulled his hat low over his eyes. The sun was warm on his hands but this high in the mountains the air was still cool, even in the middle of the afternoon. He nodded slightly to Yowan, who wandered over to the gate and waved a guard over. As Yowan drew the guard into a conversation, Kane studied both him and the other guard. Neither man was familiar but they both looked to be about ten years older than he was. If they’d served in the Kingsguard under his uncle they still might recognize him.

  The guard Yowan spoke with shook his head and pointed at a building opposite Kane before going back to his post. Kane gave Yowan a ten minute lead before leaving his spot in the sun to join him at their rendezvous.

  “We can get you into the mine area,” Yowan said.

  Kane leaned on the rail beside him. They were in the marketplace - the pens were empty this soon after the caravans had left.

  “But I don’t like your chances of getting away from the guards,” Yowan continued. “Seems they have so many indentured in the mines that they guard everyone the same. And they’re none too choosy about who they take into the mines, either.” Yowan snorted. “The guard said they’d gladly sign me up if I was desperate enough - though they might pay me less wages than a younger man, depending on what I was able to do.”

  “And since they’d be the judge, my guess is you’d get half pay for full work.” Kane looked out onto the market square. The more he understood how thoroughly Duke Thorold had perverted the laws of Soule the angrier he became.

  “And like as not work me to death on those wages.” Yowan frowned. “But the guard talked up the fact the mines have a healer on hand all the time. Always at her hut, except for the times when they can’t get the man down to her without killing him. Sounded like it happened regularly but when I asked him how often a miner was hurt or killed, he stopped talking.”

  “Didn’t want to scare you off. He may get a finder’s fee for every warm body he sends to the mines,” Kane said. “I’ll take a look around tonight to see if they put extra guards on and when they change shifts. We should plan for tomorrow.”

  fourteen

  Tomorrow night, Brenna nodded to herself as she chopped carrots. They’d get Madelay tomorrow night. Kane and Yowan would scout around some more in the morning but unless something seemed amiss they would go tomorrow night.

  “Oh Jemma, the stew’s smellin’ fine already.” Leila bustled into the kitchen. “Is there anything else you need?”

  The poor woman had been in and out of the room constantly since Brenna had started the stew. She was worried the meal wouldn’t meet the councilmen’s expectations and Brenna couldn’t blame her. They had the power to ruin her, if they chose, and worse - it sounded as though they could indenture her or her parents on a whim.

  “I have everything. Don’t worry.” Brenna dumped the cut carrots into the pot and turned to her. “It will be fine. Between the rabbit and what we got from the healer this stew will taste different enough from last nights.”

  Leila had sent Huw and his father out early this morning with the promise that if they caught some game for tonight both would eat for a week at the Iron Demon. They’d surprised Brenna with a large rabbit that had just started to fatten up on the new spring grasses. Brenna had cooked it in some butter along with onions and garlic.

  “It does smell fine,” Leila repeated.

  “Go make sure you have enough ale, Leila.” Brenna steered the woman to the door. “And make sure it’s cooled just right. The stew will be good.”

  Once Leila was out the door Brenna sighed and picked up some long, thin wild potatoes. They were last year’s crop - she’d found them in the cold room behind some bottles of preserved blueberries. After a quick wash she cut them up and added them into the stew. In a few minutes she’d put the rabbit in and let it simmer it for the next hour so the flavors could blend and deepen. It would be a very good stew.

  Brenna felt for Kane through the
old steel - he was at ease, out in the tavern. She stirred the stew again. Leila had taken the first bowls out to the councilmen a few minutes ago and the silence made her nervous.

  “They wants more already,” Leila rushed through the door, four empty stew bowls stacked in her hands. She put them down on the table and hugged Brenna tight. “Oh Brenna, thank ye. I think it’s gonna be fine, they like yer stew so much.”

  Brenna started to ladle stew into four more bowls and Leila stacked more of the thick dark bread on a plate along with a pot of butter.

  “I’ll be back fer the stew,” she said as she headed out the door with the bread.

  Brenna finished filling the bowls and sprinkled each with a pinch of salt and gently stirred each bowl. Leila rushed back and grabbed the bowls, balancing them on her arms with the ease of long years of serving. As she headed out of the kitchen Brenna hoped they stew wasn’t too good - she could have just ruined Leila’s trade by ensuring the councilmen ate every meal at the Iron Demon. And Leila didn’t dare charge them.

  Kane stood by the door with his back to the wall. Yowan was across the tavern close to the kitchen. The four councilmen, the same four from the night before, sat back expectantly as Leila put second helpings of stew in front of them. As they dug spoons into the dark fragrant stew Kane’s stomach rumbled, reminding him he hadn’t eaten since the morning. The way they devoured the stew, he wondered if they would leave any. In no time they had finished and two of the men waved Leila over. She hurried off and returned with two more bowls of stew.

  “This is a fine stew, Mistress Colley,” the leader said. Minchen, Leila had called him earlier. “How long is this cook of yours going to be around?” Although he spoke to Leila, Minchen’s gaze swiveled over to Kane.

  “Jes’ ‘till the next caravan, m’lord.” Leila bowed nervously as she backed up two steps, her eyes darting from Minchen to Kane and back again.