Burning Today Options

[Olen]

Some of you probably remember my last piece, Yesterday's Shadow and that it had a rather unsatisfying ending. I spent the summer rectifying this and now have a sizeable sequel/ completion to it which is itself now finished. It would probably be better to read Yesterday's Shadow before this as it would make more sense, however you should get by without it. If anyone wants I'll put a synopsis here, though Yesterday's Shadow isn't very long so you could just read it here (enough plugs yet?)

Anyway without further ado:

Burning Today

Prologue

Dervas wore boots while he worked. Shoes didn't last long in the decaying mixture of blood, vomit, drink and drugs which floored The Black Guar. The dark man had finally passed out and for the first time Dervas dared look at him. A worn man with a broken soul. Who are you? The Black Guar didn't get passing trade – the mixture of pushers, heavies and racketeers who made up most of his patronage didn't appreciate strangers. In the first hour the man, who now lay face down on the table, had knocked two out cold and broken another's arm. They left him alone after that and he them. Dervas wiped the remains of a line of sugar off the bar and nodded to the bouncer who went to move the man to his room.

Someone knocked at the door. Dervas ignored it. They knocked again, for longer this time. He cursed and went to tell whoever it was where to go. It was late an he didn't need any more trade. He pushed open the door, a curse dancing on his tongue. A sack crashed to the ground, gold clinked within. A Breton in black clothes stood in the doorway.

“What's his tab?” There was no need to ask whose.

“Sixty.”

The Breton showed no surprise, and counted out the gold. “Listen,” his tone offered pain if Dervas didn't, “You keep giving that guy drinks, drugs, whores, whatever he asks for okay? For him happy hour doesn't end, tabs never have to be paid. Push as much as you can into him. Don't worry - I'll be round a couple of nights a week to pay you. That sack,” he kicked disdainfully at the one he'd just dropped, “Contains a thousand drakes, payment enough I'd say. If he asks don't tell him, just give him more drink. Understand?”

Dervas nodded, his mouth was dry.

The man disappeared into the night.

Dervas walked back into the bar. He looked towards the dark man's room. Who are you? he thought again, And what have I gotten into?

[Olen]

Thanks for the comments all, I appriciate them. I'm glad the tension worked, the last part was sort of an excersise in writing it so it appears I managed well enough - thanks for rating.

SubRosa - agreed on all those points, homonyms will be the end of me, I never seem to see them on redrafts. The 'then' was meant to be then but with a comma before it. Thanks for pointing them out, I had a good look though the next chapter and saw a few so hopefully I got them all.

Due to a failure to plan chapter lengths properly this is quite a short one.


30. An Old Friend

As dawn bled rose into the eastern sky we approached the river Kithen. The following evening I would be convincing them to attack Tear. The most audacious strike made in a generation, and a grave risk, but one I had to take. I allowed my mind to wander, the night had been long and we would make camp on the other side. I pondered how best to cross the river, the map showed a ford and a bridge. The former was a bad sign, to mark a ford suggested that the river was too swift and deep to simply swim across. It was a dilemma, though not a terrible one, I weighed the danger and unreliability of the ford against the indiscretion of the bridge before raising the subject.

"We will camp on the other side of the Kithen," I said.

"Yes," Grey-tail agreed.

"I think it may be hard to cross, there is a bridge three miles west, but we are more likely to cross a ford slightly to the east unseen."

"Fords are bad places," said Keel-ha, "The middle is a bad place to be when people are hunting you."

"With luck it won't be a difficult one," I replied.

"I prefer more than luck."

I nodded, it was wise, "Hides, could you scout west and look at the bridge. We'll make for the ford and if it looks difficult await you there."

"Yes, take my pack," she passed it to Okun who swung it onto his back.

"I will accompany you," said Keel-ha.

"You'll only slow me down."

"It would be safer."

"Firen says there is no Fighter's Guild here. Is there?"

"I doubt it," it was as good as saying no and meant I didn't have to lie. Alusan might have left a patrol to look west, but they should be well away from here.

"I still should," he repeated.

"No," she looked to me for support.

I didn't really want to get involved, but she didn't want his worry. He did himself no favours with it, "Stay with us." I said.

Keel-ha looked to Grey-tail who nodded, "We may need an archer." He slunk to the back of the group as Hides ran away to the right of our path.


When we reached it the river was in spate. The turgid waters churned and boiled like a stirred cauldron, folding under themselves and rearing up over rocks before thundering back down. I had my doubts about the ford and beyond the next group of trees they were confirmed. The map had been generous, the ford would barely be a crossing if the river was low. I looked at it and wanted to curse the waters. I was tired, and I didn't appreciate them proving me wrong.

We looked at the swollen river in silence until Okun cried out. He cut himself off and crouched, "Down," he said, "There are men on the other side." I looked across, he was right. Five figures walked by the rocky side of the river, it was hard to make out in the weak light but two looked more of the stature of orcs. Certainly they weren't dunmer.

"Two orcs, and three men," said Keel-ha, "I think you may have been wrong Firen."

"So it would appear. Have they seen us?" It looked like luck was with us, they were not reacting as I would have expected, rather they walked up the bank of the river on the other side, drawing level with our position. As they passed out of the trees where the light was better I caught a glimpse of their leader. An orc with a dreugh shield and glass hatchet. I knew an orc who carried those tools, and though the distance was too great for me to see his face I could not believe there was another. Loghash Gro-Ogdub, we had shared a few drinks in our time, when I wasn't feeling picky about company. The guild was, the past tense felt strange, but somehow good, a strange group; there were the half retired drunkards, like myself, waiting for an unlucky blow or bad dose to snuff our problems. Others were just greedy and wanted to get rich quick, at least initially. Then there was Loghash's sort who did it because they enjoyed it. Perhaps they were the purest fighters: it wasn't money that drove him, it was the power of smashing the life out of those weaker than him. For that type it was the guild or jail. I had killed enough people in my career, but it didn't mean I enjoyed it, not like that madman. Even the argonians served a purpose higher than blind destruction. But that he was unexpected fitted, he was the very antithesis of Arusan; impulsive, aggressive, a doer, not a thinker. His solution to any problem was a headlong charge. "I know that orsimer," I said, "They're fighters' guild."

"Great," said Grey-tail, "I don't fancy this ford."

"Which would be why they're continuing to the bridge," said Okun.

"Correct I'd say, we'll have to use the ford to avoid them," I replied.

"If they're heading for the bridge we have to warn Hides," said Keel-ha. He crouched up as if to run west.

"Why?" I replied, "She'll be coming back before they get there. And she can handle herself."

He glared at me.

"There's no point," said Grey-tail, "How would you find her?"

He looked annoyed for a moment then settled, "We should wait for her here then."

Kieras glared at him, "Why?" he moved into argonian, "Let her be, you'd do better if you gave her some space."

Keel-ha glared at him.

"He's right," I said in argonian.

We broke into silence and gave time for the fighters to get far enough away.


The ford was hard. The bottom was shallower and had been flattened but that just made the current stronger. Not even the argonians fancied being washed away. Drowning might not worry them, but being smashed to pieces still could. I waded into the waters pull and braced against it, we had nothing to anchor ourselves with so we were each on our own. Perhaps it was best that way. Fortunately it stayed only a little more than knee deep right across. Still I couldn't help but wonder what might have happened had we been a few minutes earlier, or later. I had been too confident I knew my enemy. The chance had been forced into their leader's plan by those higher up, my old and unreliable friend was that chance element which had so nearly brought it all down.

My foot slipped on a rounded pebble and I dropped a little. The water grabbed at the extra leg and for an instant I teetered. Then I regained myself. The rapid washed away my thoughts along with the piss running down my leg. That had kissed the lip of disaster. After my slip my progress was painstakingly slow. I was at the three quarter mark and still just ahead of the others when Hides appeared on the other side. "You've started... Good," she called, "The bridge has washed away... But how did you know?"