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Authors: Martin Scott
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of their children.
"Is it difficult being married to a Baron? After growing up poor?"
"Isn't that rather an impertinent question?"
"Probably."
"My marriage to Mabados has been generally successful."
Generally successful doesn't sound like the warmest description of a marriage I've ever heard. Sensing my doubts, Demelzos takes the opportunity to ask if I ever managed to stay in one place long enough to get married.
"I did."
"And?"
"Complete disaster."
"Any children?"
"No. No property either."
The Baroness smiles. It makes her look younger, more like the barmaid I remember.
"What does the Baron say about all this?"
"He doesn't believe any of it. I can't really blame him, it all sounds so unlikely. It's putting a strain on my family. My daughter's refusing to leave the house. She wouldn't come with us to Orosis. My husband was furious."
"It must be awkward, with the wedding coming up."
"It is. If she's not at her brother's wedding, people will talk. Baronesses can be very vindictive with their gossip. Do you think you can help?"
"Yes. I can."
The Baroness fishes around in her bag. "How much do you charge?"
"Thirty gurans a day. But you don't have to pay me."
"That's gallant. I don't remember you being gallant. Weren't there some questions asked about your tactics in the tournament?"
I grin. "One or two. But I still won. You don't need to pay me."
Demelzos smiles. She's pleased I'm not charging her.
"But you could lend me some money."
Demelzos looks startled, and then laughs. "That's more like the man I remember. What do you need a loan for?"
I explain that I need money for Makri to enter the tournament.
"The Orc woman?"
"Yes. Though she wouldn't like you calling her that."
"Can she fight?"
"Champion of the Orcish gladiator pits."
"But she's just a skinny young girl."
"True. But she's part Orc, part Human, and part Elf. That's meant to be impossible, but she managed it somehow. The mixed blood's done something strange to her. It makes her move faster than anyone else. She likes fighting too, which makes a difference. But we need money for armour and weapons."
"And then there's your betting to consider, I imagine?"
"You don't seem to have forgotten much about me. Yes, I may place a few bets."
"So which one of the women is yours?" she asks, while counting out coins.
"What?"
"The Orc girl or the Sorceress? Who's you lover?"
"Neither. I gave up on women when my marriage fell apart."
Demelzos plainly doesn't believe me, but lets it pass.
"How much do you need?"
"For Makri? About two hundred."
Demelzos hands me three hundred gurans. Twelve heavy gold coins.
"That should keep you going. Make sure the Baron never hears about it."
Chapter Ten
Makri stares at me suspiciously. "I can't believe you had an affair with a Baroness."
"She wasn't a Baroness at the time. She was a barmaid."
"I can't believe you had an affair with a barmaid."
"What's so strange about it? I'd just won the sword-fighting tournament. There were barmaids all over Samsarina keen to have an affair with me. Just because I don't boast about these things doesn't mean I wasn't a man for the ladies in my younger days."
Makri shakes her head. "Are you sure you're not imagining it?"
I tap the purse I'm carrying. "You should be grateful the Baroness liked me so much. Otherwise we wouldn't have money for your armour." I shake the purse, making the coins jangle. "I expect she's remembered me very fondly over the years."
"You're loving this, aren't you?" says Makri, who, for some reason, seems unnecessarily scathing about the whole thing.
"I suppose it does say something about the vigorous love-making of the youthful Thraxas that she still remembers me so kindly. But I'm not bragging."
"If Baron Mabados ever finds out he'll throw you back in the ocean." Makri doesn't sound too displeased at the prospect.
We're walking through Elath, on our way to buy armour and weapons. Makri's preferred method of combat is to use two swords, but
"Is it difficult being married to a Baron? After growing up poor?"
"Isn't that rather an impertinent question?"
"Probably."
"My marriage to Mabados has been generally successful."
Generally successful doesn't sound like the warmest description of a marriage I've ever heard. Sensing my doubts, Demelzos takes the opportunity to ask if I ever managed to stay in one place long enough to get married.
"I did."
"And?"
"Complete disaster."
"Any children?"
"No. No property either."
The Baroness smiles. It makes her look younger, more like the barmaid I remember.
"What does the Baron say about all this?"
"He doesn't believe any of it. I can't really blame him, it all sounds so unlikely. It's putting a strain on my family. My daughter's refusing to leave the house. She wouldn't come with us to Orosis. My husband was furious."
"It must be awkward, with the wedding coming up."
"It is. If she's not at her brother's wedding, people will talk. Baronesses can be very vindictive with their gossip. Do you think you can help?"
"Yes. I can."
The Baroness fishes around in her bag. "How much do you charge?"
"Thirty gurans a day. But you don't have to pay me."
"That's gallant. I don't remember you being gallant. Weren't there some questions asked about your tactics in the tournament?"
I grin. "One or two. But I still won. You don't need to pay me."
Demelzos smiles. She's pleased I'm not charging her.
"But you could lend me some money."
Demelzos looks startled, and then laughs. "That's more like the man I remember. What do you need a loan for?"
I explain that I need money for Makri to enter the tournament.
"The Orc woman?"
"Yes. Though she wouldn't like you calling her that."
"Can she fight?"
"Champion of the Orcish gladiator pits."
"But she's just a skinny young girl."
"True. But she's part Orc, part Human, and part Elf. That's meant to be impossible, but she managed it somehow. The mixed blood's done something strange to her. It makes her move faster than anyone else. She likes fighting too, which makes a difference. But we need money for armour and weapons."
"And then there's your betting to consider, I imagine?"
"You don't seem to have forgotten much about me. Yes, I may place a few bets."
"So which one of the women is yours?" she asks, while counting out coins.
"What?"
"The Orc girl or the Sorceress? Who's you lover?"
"Neither. I gave up on women when my marriage fell apart."
Demelzos plainly doesn't believe me, but lets it pass.
"How much do you need?"
"For Makri? About two hundred."
Demelzos hands me three hundred gurans. Twelve heavy gold coins.
"That should keep you going. Make sure the Baron never hears about it."
Chapter Ten
Makri stares at me suspiciously. "I can't believe you had an affair with a Baroness."
"She wasn't a Baroness at the time. She was a barmaid."
"I can't believe you had an affair with a barmaid."
"What's so strange about it? I'd just won the sword-fighting tournament. There were barmaids all over Samsarina keen to have an affair with me. Just because I don't boast about these things doesn't mean I wasn't a man for the ladies in my younger days."
Makri shakes her head. "Are you sure you're not imagining it?"
I tap the purse I'm carrying. "You should be grateful the Baroness liked me so much. Otherwise we wouldn't have money for your armour." I shake the purse, making the coins jangle. "I expect she's remembered me very fondly over the years."
"You're loving this, aren't you?" says Makri, who, for some reason, seems unnecessarily scathing about the whole thing.
"I suppose it does say something about the vigorous love-making of the youthful Thraxas that she still remembers me so kindly. But I'm not bragging."
"If Baron Mabados ever finds out he'll throw you back in the ocean." Makri doesn't sound too displeased at the prospect.
We're walking through Elath, on our way to buy armour and weapons. Makri's preferred method of combat is to use two swords, but
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