Read Online The Bloody North (The Fallen Crown) by Tony Healey - Free Book Online
Authors: Tony Healey
Ads: Link
running this fast?"
"Yeah."
"And you can get me across, no trouble?"
The boatman nodded, a thin smile on his lips. "You'll see for yourself why I don't make the trip unless I'm properly compensated. There's a reason you don't see any other ferries this side of the Derlington. Not this stretch where it flows real fast."
"What's your name?" Rowan asked as the boatman unmoored the raft, keeping one hand firmly on the rope at all times, pulling with the other and swapping over.
"Tim."
"Tim, eh? A small name for a big man," Rowan said. "No offense."
Tim shrugged. "None taken. Hear that a lot. I'd say it's ironic but to tell the truth, I'm not totally sure what the word means."
"No," Rowan said. "Me neither."
The thin rays of the sun reflected off the angry water whenever the clouds parted enough, which wasn't often. Mostly a dull light filled the sky, hidden behind the grey. Rowan watched as Tim worked. Now he saw it for himself. The sweat beaded Tim's face as he pulled them closer and closer toward the shore, his huge muscles bulging with the effort of fighting the current. Brown water lapped over the sides of the raft, but it did little more than make Rowan's feet wet.
Better than drow ning trying to cross it.
They were h alfway when riders reached the shack. Tim looked back at them, still working the rope, edging the ferry closer and closer. "Friends of yours?"
A dozen r iders, each a member of the Regiment. The man at the front looked tired and sick but there could be no mistake.
Lieutenant Vrand glared across. His angry dark eyes looked obscene in such a pale, waxy face.
"We're acquainted," Rowan said cryptically. "I guess you not telling them I was here is out of the question now, eh?"
"I guess so," Tim said though he gave no indication he was about to offer Rowan any kind of refund for the extra he had paid him.
"Black!" Vrand called across, shouting at the top of his lungs yet barely audible above the river. "Black!"
"What, you bastard?" Rowan yelled back, hands cupped around his mouth. "What do you want?"
"Come back!" Vrand was grinning. "I offer a swift execution."
Rowan smiled himself. When I see you again, Vrand, I'm going to be the one doing the executing.
"Go fuck your mother! I had her last night and she's highly recommended!" Rowan called back.
Vrand's grin slipped. The ferry had nearly reached the shore.
"You two get along, eh ?" Tim asked.
"Yeah."
"You realise I'm gonna have to bring him over. I can't turn down a paying a customer," Tim said. "Not in this climate."
Rowan nodded once, slowly. "I do."
The wooden craft butted up against the soft muddy shore and Rowan stepped off.
"Good luck," Tim said. "I'll try to take my time getting back. Do you a good turn."
"I appreciate it," Rowan said. But the boatman had already started to haul the rope through his hands, dragging the raft across the current. He stood there and watched as the man got to the middle of the river. Tim glanced back, a frown on his face, no doubt wondering why Rowan had not already turned on his heels.
Buy me some time? Rowan thought. Don't make me laugh.
" That's it. You just stand there!" Lieutenant Vrand yelled across. "I'll be over in a minute! Wait for me."
No you fucking won't, Rowan thought. "Tim!"
The stocky boatman turned around. "Yeah?"
"You know the extra I gave you? To forget I was ever here?"
"Yeah . . ."
Rowan drew his sword, walked to the thick heavy post where the rope was tied in a knot so tightly drawn it could never have been untied. He raised the blade above his head. Made ready to do what had to be done. " That'll cover the cost of renewing this rope."
Tim held up a hand. "No! Don't do it!"
"He doesn't have the balls," Vrand shouted, though he looked anything other than skeptical.
"Sorry," Rowan said and chopped the rope clean in half. The ferryman looked at the limp length of rope in his hand, tossed it to one side and gaped left and right as the current took hold of the ferry,
"Yeah."
"And you can get me across, no trouble?"
The boatman nodded, a thin smile on his lips. "You'll see for yourself why I don't make the trip unless I'm properly compensated. There's a reason you don't see any other ferries this side of the Derlington. Not this stretch where it flows real fast."
"What's your name?" Rowan asked as the boatman unmoored the raft, keeping one hand firmly on the rope at all times, pulling with the other and swapping over.
"Tim."
"Tim, eh? A small name for a big man," Rowan said. "No offense."
Tim shrugged. "None taken. Hear that a lot. I'd say it's ironic but to tell the truth, I'm not totally sure what the word means."
"No," Rowan said. "Me neither."
The thin rays of the sun reflected off the angry water whenever the clouds parted enough, which wasn't often. Mostly a dull light filled the sky, hidden behind the grey. Rowan watched as Tim worked. Now he saw it for himself. The sweat beaded Tim's face as he pulled them closer and closer toward the shore, his huge muscles bulging with the effort of fighting the current. Brown water lapped over the sides of the raft, but it did little more than make Rowan's feet wet.
Better than drow ning trying to cross it.
They were h alfway when riders reached the shack. Tim looked back at them, still working the rope, edging the ferry closer and closer. "Friends of yours?"
A dozen r iders, each a member of the Regiment. The man at the front looked tired and sick but there could be no mistake.
Lieutenant Vrand glared across. His angry dark eyes looked obscene in such a pale, waxy face.
"We're acquainted," Rowan said cryptically. "I guess you not telling them I was here is out of the question now, eh?"
"I guess so," Tim said though he gave no indication he was about to offer Rowan any kind of refund for the extra he had paid him.
"Black!" Vrand called across, shouting at the top of his lungs yet barely audible above the river. "Black!"
"What, you bastard?" Rowan yelled back, hands cupped around his mouth. "What do you want?"
"Come back!" Vrand was grinning. "I offer a swift execution."
Rowan smiled himself. When I see you again, Vrand, I'm going to be the one doing the executing.
"Go fuck your mother! I had her last night and she's highly recommended!" Rowan called back.
Vrand's grin slipped. The ferry had nearly reached the shore.
"You two get along, eh ?" Tim asked.
"Yeah."
"You realise I'm gonna have to bring him over. I can't turn down a paying a customer," Tim said. "Not in this climate."
Rowan nodded once, slowly. "I do."
The wooden craft butted up against the soft muddy shore and Rowan stepped off.
"Good luck," Tim said. "I'll try to take my time getting back. Do you a good turn."
"I appreciate it," Rowan said. But the boatman had already started to haul the rope through his hands, dragging the raft across the current. He stood there and watched as the man got to the middle of the river. Tim glanced back, a frown on his face, no doubt wondering why Rowan had not already turned on his heels.
Buy me some time? Rowan thought. Don't make me laugh.
" That's it. You just stand there!" Lieutenant Vrand yelled across. "I'll be over in a minute! Wait for me."
No you fucking won't, Rowan thought. "Tim!"
The stocky boatman turned around. "Yeah?"
"You know the extra I gave you? To forget I was ever here?"
"Yeah . . ."
Rowan drew his sword, walked to the thick heavy post where the rope was tied in a knot so tightly drawn it could never have been untied. He raised the blade above his head. Made ready to do what had to be done. " That'll cover the cost of renewing this rope."
Tim held up a hand. "No! Don't do it!"
"He doesn't have the balls," Vrand shouted, though he looked anything other than skeptical.
"Sorry," Rowan said and chopped the rope clean in half. The ferryman looked at the limp length of rope in his hand, tossed it to one side and gaped left and right as the current took hold of the ferry,
Similar Books
