"And now you forgot all about me again," grumbled Ameren when her sword easily slipped past Havaldr's shoddy attempt of a block, letting the flat side of the blade smack down on his arm. "Back to the start."
The young man lowered his sword and gave a tired sigh, shuffling past her and to the beginning of the little course they'd set up on the forecastle deck. A couple of crates, a bale of hay, a pair of sacks, and a coil of rope scattered about with the purpose of making Havaldr fall on his arse as he tried to make it from one side of the bow to the other.
"Last one, provided you get more than a third of the way," said Ameren as she rearranged the obstacles and walked over to Havaldr. Hearing that the evening session was almost over seemed to breath some new life into him and he took a defensive stance, parrying Ameren's first slow, careful swings.
So far so good.
She stepped toward him, forcing him backward across the deck while she kept sending a series of slashes and jabs for him to deflect, nothing too difficult, but enough to keep most of his attention locked on the clashing blades.
"I do believe you are actually improving, mister Holmwood," said Ameren, sheathing her sword. "What a wondrous time to be alive in. You're free to go and get some rest, we'll be at it again tomorrow morning."
She started clearing the deck as Havaldr headed below, bringing the bale of hay over to the horses for them to nibble on. They were both handling the journey on the sea rather well, even if they'd been a bit sceptical about the whole thing when the stepped onboard. Ameren's mare was starting to become a bit wound up, though, now that she was used to the way the ship moved and no longer found it unsettling, making her easily agitated and prone to biting.
"I know, darling, I'm getting restless too," mumbled Ameren, rubbing the mare's head, "It'll just be another week or two, then we'll have solid ground under our feet again."
She put blankets on the horses and made sure they were secured, then went to settle in for the night herself, removing most of her weapons, taking off her boots and gauntlets, and loosening the straps of the armour a little. She wrapped the heavy cloak around herself and lay down on the bedroll before pulling the blanket up as well.
It gets so damn cold out here at night.
Ameren curled up a bit and closed her eyes, a hand at her neck with her fingers clasped around the chain and the ring.
Cold and lonely.
They were lounging about in the main hall, Ameren in an armchair by the fireplace, her nimble fingers running across the strings of her lute, playing a soft ballad she was trying to master, while Murray had his large bulk spread out on a bench, rolling dice across a table, and Dwight was sitting cross legged on top of it, trying to sneak coins from the neat stacks to his pocket when the other man wasn't looking.
"If you have to play that sodded lute could you at least sing somethin' while you do it? Put that pretty mouth to work," said Murray, getting a cackle from Dwight for his lewd comment.
She merely shrugged, brought the ballad to a close and switched to a simpler tune.
"The fattest of hogs, the plumpest of swine,
This corpulent man is everything but fine.
He has a face like a cow's arse, all wrinkled and flabby,
Covered in all manner of shit, it's exceptionally scabby.
The air around him is absolutely reeking,
This may be because his cock won't stop leaking.
Alas, that's what happens when cheap whores you lay,
A superbly foolish man he is, this git called Murray."
"You fuckin' cheeky little-..."
"And while his mood can be vicious, I don't need to worry,
As this lazy slug won't bother coming after me in a hurry."
Ameren calmly put a hand over the strings to silence the instrument, meeting Murray's enraged scowl with a taunting grin and sinking down a bit further into the chair with her legs hanging over the armrest, making it unmistakably clear that she was not the least bit intimidated by the man. Dwight, meanwhile, was laughing his arse off, almost tumbling backwards off the table as Murray let go of the dice and looked like he was about to push himself up when another, more amused and less gleeful laugh caused him to stop. Jasper stood in the doorway, arms folded across his chest and shoulder leaned against the door frame, shaking his head.
"That's hardly fair, lassie, picking such easy fights."
"Well, I didn't start it," retorted Ameren, sounding mock hurt and a bit ashamed, like a scolded child.
"You never do. Come on, enough playtime for you. Let's see how well you do with a proper opponent, eh?" said Jasper, turning and walking down the corridor. Ameren was quick to follow, leaving her lute in the armchair and the men to continue their game of dice, though Murray seemed more interested in taking out his anger on his chortling friend. She heard him start shouting just as they stepped through the door out into the courtyard, Jasper quick the shut it behind them.
"Lee will be watching, so I won't be going easy on you," whispered Jasper as he handed her a pair of blunted training weapons, a long, light sword and a dagger, then flicked his gaze toward the well-dressed woman standing at the far wall, winking at her before going to get his own weapons.
"How's that any different from all our other sessions?"
"It's not, lassie, I just felt like saying it so that I don't have to feel bad when I make you cry."
Ameren would have laughed, but with Lee there she didn't feel like it. She rolled her shoulders, focused and calm, and sunk down into a slight crouch, kept her blades half-raised and waited for Jasper to begin.
She landed on one knee, skidding in the gravel, bringing the sword up just as he was on her, parrying his blades aside and springing up, kneeing him in the gut. Jasper groaned, taking a stumbling step to the side, giving her an opening. She stabbed at his left side, but he'd quickly blocked it and pressed her again. They were both breathing hard, weapons gripped tight to keep them from slipping out of their sweaty hands, going at each other as if they weren't fighting with blunted steel and their lives depended on it. Jasper was stronger than her, a lot stronger, far more experienced too, no doubt about that, and quick, still in the late years of his prime. But she was quicker, her reflexes were better, and he'd trained her well. She managed to twist the dagger out of his grasp as he went to parry her sword, sending it flying across the courtyard and landing well out of reach.
He's tiring.
He growled a curse, sidestepping around her, swept her sword aside and tried to kick her legs out from under her. Ameren stumbled and threw herself backward to avoid a vicious slash, rolled and let go of her own dagger to grab a handful of gravel, flinging it into Jasper's face when he followed, forcing him to turn his head and look away for a brief moment. That was all she needed. She'd snatched up the dagger again and rushed into him, tackling him to the ground, straddling him with the blunt blade of the dagger pinning his sword hand down, her sword firmly pressed against his throat.
Ameren glared down at him, teeth gritted and chest heaving with each breath, holding him down until she heard footsteps in the gravel. She quickly got up and backed up a little as Lee stepped across the courtyard toward the door.
"You've made excellent progress. Well done," said Lee, walking past them. Her voice had its usual cold tone to it, but Ameren could tell that she'd meant it.
"Thank you, mistress," said Ameren, lowering her gaze to the ground and inclining her head to the woman, not looking up again until she heard the door swing shut.
"That's it? No leap for joy? No victory dance? Not even a little bit of cheering?" asked Jasper as he rose to his feet, panting and rubbing his sore limbs. "Damnit, lassie, you have no trouble whatsoever being smug about dancing circles around those halfwits in there, but not this?"
"This is different, Jasper. That in there is all for shits and giggles. This actually matters," replied Ameren.
"My point exactly, lassie. You have every reason to be proud, let yourself enjoy it!"
A faint smile tugged at the corners of her lips and she nodded. He was right, she'd earned it. The smile grew as she went to put the weapons away and she gave a soft, delighted, and relieved chuckle.
She's pleased with me.
She turned her face to the skies and shut her eyes, grinning.
"That's the spirit, lassie! Hm... No, I can't go around calling you lassie anymore. You've become quite the young woman."
Jasper was behind her, closer than she usually let people get to her, but she didn't really notice. This was a fantastic moment and she wasn't about to let her cautious tendencies ruin it.
"Well done."
"Quite..."
Oh, no...
His strong hands on her hips, guiding her back against him.
"...the young..."
Not him...
His warm breath on her neck, lips brushing her ear.
"...wom-argh!"
No!
Her sharp elbow in his face, crushing his nose.
Ameren spat on the floor as she made her way through the corridor and back to the main hall, going straight toward the armchair and the lute.
"Ameren, if you start pluckin' at that fuckin' thing again I'll smash it in half and fuck you bloody with the sharp ends!" roared Murray, glaring darkly at her as she picked up the instrument.
That so, you swollen pig? Let's say you try it and I cut your-...
No, that wouldn't get to you. Nothing gets to you. Not him, not Jasper, not even Lee. Calm down. Smile.
And she smiled a warm, charming smile as she hung the lute over her shoulder and continued across the room.
"Don't you worry, Murray, I'm on my way out. Do you want me to bring you back anything from the market?" asked Ameren, turning and walking backwards to maintain eye contact with the man. "My treat for you being such a good sport about the song."
"Pork sausages, and not old ones like last time!"
"Sausages it is. Dwight, anything for you?"
"Pears!"
"It's a pear week, eh? Got it!"
She turned around on her heel just in time to make the corner and went down the stairs, hurried through the tunnel and up again, then past the man guarding the entrance, out the heavy door and into the narrow alley.
A gentle tune drifted over the marketplace, mingling smoothly with the chatter of the traders and the townsfolk. Ameren sat on the stone wall with her back against the corner of a building, just playing and watching the people of Bree go about their business. Now and again someone would come over to her and drop a few coppers on the ground below her feet, and she'd smile at them, but that was about all the interaction she could stand at the moment.
It wasn't enough with the rest of those vile tossers trying to have their way with us any chance they get. It had to be Jasper too...
She sighed and looked up at the orange sky, feeling her eyes water a bit and blinking it away. Jasper had been with Lee when they picked her up off the street. She'd bitten his hand and given him a sharp little heel to the groin when he'd grabbed her to keep her from running off. He'd cursed at first, then smiled that lopsided smile of his.
"Plenty of spirit in her!"
"Yes, and she doesn't just fight blindly, look how she's thinking and trying to work it out," Lee had said after she managed to lock Ameren's little arms behind her back. "Great potential, a lot better than the others we've picked up, don't you think?"
"Aye, I think she'll do. And you know me, always did have a thing for blondes," Jasper had said and laughed. Lee had just rolled her eyes and Ameren had been too young to understand what he meant.
Now the memory sent a chill through her and left a sickening feeling in her gut.
For fuck's sake, Jasper... A damned ruse all along.
She swallowed down sour spit and slid off the wall, shouldering the lute and picking up the coins.
No point delaying it any longer.
Ameren dropped the wrapped sausages and the pears on the table. Murray said nothing, he just tore the paper off and stuffed his face. Dwigth, however, beamed her a toothy grin as he gathered up the pears in his arms.
"Cheers, sweetheart!" said Dwight, taking a bite and flicking his thumb toward the corridor, spitting bits of pear as he added. "Mistress wants to see you."
"I thought she might. I'll go right away," said Ameren, masking her concern behind a soft smile and with a slight strut in her step, going on in a singsong tone. "The fattest of hogs, the plumpest of swine..."
She fell silent as she approached the door to Lee's office, trying not to hesitate as she raised her hand to knock, taking a deep breath after her knuckles had struck the wood.
"Come in."
Lee was sitting at her desk, her gaze resting on the paper in front of her. Ameren stepped inside and carefully closed the door, not wanting to give Lee further reason to be cross with her.
I struck Jasper, what other reason could she need?
She took a seat across from her, clasping her hands in her lap and patiently waiting for Lee to speak.
"I don't remember you getting a hit in on Jasper's face during training today," said Lee, not looking up.
"I didn't, mistress."
"No? Are you sure?"
"Aye, mistress."
"Then why is his nose broken?"
"He has not told you, mistress?"
"No, but I can guess as to what happened. You didn't answer my question, Ameren."
Ameren swallowed, trying to keep her voice from cracking.
"Forgive me, mistress. It is broken because I swung my elbow into it after you left."
"Hardly the proper way to treat your superior. Was there a reason for it?"
Lee put aside the paper and locked her cold, blue eyes on Ameren.
"I didn't want him to put his hands on me, mistress," mumbled Ameren, looking down at the smooth, polished surface of the desk.
"You shouldn't. I don't need to remind you of what happened to May, do I?"
The sickening feeling in Ameren's gut got worse. Of course she didn't need to remind her of May. How would she ever forget how Lee slit the young woman's throat after finding out that she was carrying the child of one of the thugs in the syndicate? Lee had made damn sure that she and the other girls were there to watch, after all.
"N-no, mistress."
"Good. You may go."
Ameren slowly stood up and turned, but stopped again after she'd taken a shaky step toward the door.
"Mistress?"
"Yes, Ameren? Is there anything else?"
She hesitated, raising her gaze to meet Lee's.
"Is there no one I can trust?"
"You thought you could trust Jasper?"
Ameren just nodded, not daring to speak in fear of that she'd start sobbing.
"Then you've learned an important lesson today. You can trust me to do what is best for you, and you can trust in your own abilities. Other than that? No, Ameren."
