Keep on the Borderlands

“You’re just the person I wanted to talk to.”

“Me? Why?”

“Why not?”

She held up a hand for silence and began turning down digits. “Back up north, just before that fight over the barmaid, there was somethingabout hidden gold. About half a year before that, something about cleaning bandits out of a village. Then there was Inner Dell and the-oh, never mind!”Eyes narrowed, she leaned on her elbows and glared at him. “I know that look,Jerdren. It means you’ve come up with something complicated, possibly dangerous,and probably unlawful. Well, not me, not anywhere, but definitely not here in the Keep!”

“But-!”

“Jerdren, they’ll lock you up here and toss the key over thewalls if you steal from a shop. One of your schemes would probably get us all tossed over the walls!”

Blorys gave Eddis a tired look. “Sorry. I knew he was up tosomething, but he wouldn’t tell me.”

“Told you I would, soon as we found someone-well, like Eddis.Didn’t I? Just wanted to tell it once, that’s all.” He turned back to Eddis andsmiled.

She edged back on her stool and eyed him sidelong. “Save thecharm, Jerdren. You aren’t luring me into one of your schemes.”

“Scheme? But Eddis, this is official business!”

“Sure. Look, just tell me, I’ll say no, and we can go ourseparate ways.”

“She’s got a good point, Brother,” Blorys said pointedly.“Tell us, all right?”

The older man grinned widely. “Okay. We got in a while back,and I settled with the clients, then went to unsaddle while Blor got us cots. So, I’m coming out and ran right into Mebros. Remember, Blor? Used to be on thegates, short man, pale beard. Watch captain these days-so, anyway, I told himabout our little fight out there on the road.”

“I thought,” Blorys broke in, “that we were leaving thatuntil after we’d had a chance to clean up.”

“Well, he was there, and I know him. Anyway, Lhodis and hispeople weren’t going to keep quiet about the fight, were they? And Mebros wasn’tsurprised. Seems there’s a band of robbers holed up somewhere close by. Ofcourse,” Jerdren shrugged, “there’s always been a few men here and there, butsince midsummer, they’ve attacked when and wherever they feel like it. Ten daysago, they took a gem merchant’s wife hostage, took all his money, then forcedhim to come here to collect the stones as her ransom.”

M’Baddah stirred. “What did they do?”

“The Keep men? What could they do, not knowing where thewoman was? The merchant lost his money and his gems both, but at least he got his woman back.” Jerdren shook his head. “They know the guard here can’t chase’em down, whatever dirty tricks they pull. These days, there are barely enoughsoldiers here to man the walls. The castellan runs what patrols he can, but-”

Eddis leaned forward. “You’re telling me they’re just goingto get away with it?” she demanded. “Because if they do, then what’s next?”

Jerdren’s eyes were very bright. “Well, you know, that was mythought exactly, Eddis. It seems the castellan is going to put out the word for volunteers-heroes, Mebros says-to find that bandit camp and destroy it!”

3

Blorys sighed wearily, breaking the startled silence that followed hisbrothers words. “Jers, you’re mad.”

“Mad? Why?”

The younger man merely shook his head.

“All right, Blor, it may be only another Keep rumor, but ifsomeone’s going to hunt down these bandits, why not us? We did all rightthis morning, didn’t we?”

“Against a band of poorly trained, ragged men like that, wedid.”

“We were still outnumbered,” Jerdren reminded him, “andset on by surprise.” He drank wine, set the cup down, and began turning itbetween square, freckled hands, his eyes absently fixed on the contents. “Couldbe you’re right, Blor. I am getting bored with the same routine, year inand year out. Sure, it takes a good man to plan a journey across the realm, especially out to the borderlands, to bring a caravan through safely.”

“Or woman,” Eddis remarked dryly. Jerdren gazed at herblankly and finally shrugged.

“Oh-right,” he said.

“Look,” Blorys said, “Mebros’ always been one for spinning agood yarn. How do you know this isn’t another of them?”

“Could be,” Jerdren allowed, “but I don’t think so. He got itdirect from one of the men who watches the inner gates, and that fellow is good friends with one of the castellan’s personal guard. That’s not the same asmarket rumor, is it?”

“Save the argument for later,” Eddis said. “Just tell us.”

“All right,” Jerdren said. “What he said is that up untilthis summer, there’ve been the usual raids on travelers and caravans. You know.A few men preying on lone wagons, harrying riders. Mostly, they’ve beenunorganized and easily driven off. But recently, the attacks have increased, and the raiders seem better armed, better organized. Mebros says all evidence points to a large band, a camp of fifty or more men-soldier-trained.”

“The men who attacked us this morning were organized, but Iwouldn’t call them well trained,” Blorys pointed out.

Jerdren shook his head. “From what Mebros said, I don’t thinkthey were part of this local band. He says they wear a patch or badge of some kind-a bit of dark green on one sleeve. Our bunch might have been a raidingparty moving through the area, or maybe men looking to join up with the local band.” He waved that aside. “Mebros says it’s near certain there’s at least onecamp close by, but it’s also fairly sure they move often. Still, a large band ofmen, I’m thinking they’d have two or three regular sites up in the hills they goto, near the river or across rock, so they’d leave no obvious trail. Far enoughaway that the castellan can’t afford to send men looking for them but nearenough to keep watch on the road.”

“That still covers a lot of rough ground,” Eddis said.

“Exactly.” Jerdren grinned at her. “And most of thecastellan’s men are guards. They’re best at manning the walls here.”

“So what, Jers?” his brother asked dryly. “You’re suggestingthat the five of us go looking for a well-armed group of fifty or more? Track them down ourselves and bring them down? That’s high odds even for you,isn’t it?”

“Well-”

“Forget it, Jerdren,” Eddis cut him off flatly. “Those aren’tmy kind of odds. Personally, I’m still happy guarding merchant carts. Themoney’s good, and I don’t have to answer to some captain or… or castellan,either.”

“I didn’t say just us,” the man protested. “The men I hiredup north might want to join us, and there should be a few more like us here. Besides, Mebros says there’s to be a decent reward and a call for volunteersfrom the guard-”

“Who are men fit only to guard the walls, according to you,”Eddis broke in sharply. “I don’t like it, Jerdren. Too much ‘if and maybe’ toyour story, and besides, every time we run into each other, there’s trouble.Usually started by you.”

“Eddis?” M’Baddah spoke up for the first time. “PerhapsM’Whan and I should go learn what we can before you and Jerdren argue the matterfurther.”

Why bother? she thought sourly. All the same, she at least needed to discuss things with M’Baddah- privately.

Jerdren nodded. “Sure, M’Baddah, that’s the spirit! Blor andI can talk to men we know in the barracks, and we’ll meet back here later. Fairenough, Eddis?”

Silence.