Akatika's Legacy Page 9

  The next morning Gabby looked into the mirror, no black eye. “Thank Maerryth” she whispered. Ending below her breasts and starting at her waist, she now had a band of black and blue that wrapped fully around her stomach and back.

  “How hard did that kid hit me?” She exclaimed as she probed the bruise with her fingers.

  She lost her breath as a finger glanced a spot below her armpit. “Maerryth’s bounteous bosom!” she cursed. She had been waiting for the right moment to try that curse out, this seemed right. She had heard a dock worker use it on her way to train with Tony a few nights back.

  She grabbed the dress with the loosest fit she had, not even looking at the corsets. She cautiously put it on and gingerly descended the stairs to the kitchen where her Mother was making scones.

  “I thought I’d be up to roll you out of bed this morning. You have nearly slept the whole day away.” Her mother scolded.

  “It’s not that late ma.” Gabby argued.

  “Not that late, its nearly mid-day. Your pa went to the shop hours ago.” Her mother corrected.

  Gabby leaned over the counter looking out the window. Sure enough, the sun was overhead, it was much later than she thought. She was late for her meeting with Ivy.

  “By the blessed seven sons! Ivy’s going to kill me.” Gabby swore.

  “Gabriella Sanderson! What kind of language is that coming from your mouth? I have half a mind to clean it out.” Her mother threatened, picking up the scrub brush from the wash basin. “I didn’t raise a dock worker or a sailor, did I?”

  “No ma’am.” Gabby whispered backing away.

  “If I hear such words from you again, well you’ll be happy if I stop with using this brush on your teeth. You’ll have a bruised hide the likes you’ve never had before.”

  Gabby doubted her mother could do worse than what she had gotten the night before, but she silently nodded her head and crept out of the kitchen.

  The sound of breaking glass echoed down the back street as her shoe flew through the air, landing in the box of milk bottles. Gabby knew she shouldn’t be running, more scandal for her mother to have to deal with. Honestly what kind of world was it that a woman couldn’t run down the street without causing a commotion.

  She walked over to retrieve her shoe. The leather laces had broken, causing the shoe to become loose and fly of its own accord. She was late and now she would have to walk. This day was turning into a miserable one.

  “What do we have here?” a raspy male voice said from behind her.

  “Looks like one of them high born ladies, I’d reckon. Aye Klein.” A second male voice said.

  “Pretty one at that too, and young.” Klein’s raspy voice whispered. “Bet she’s got some coin on her.”

  Ice ran down her spine. As Gabby turned around, she saw the two mangy looking men blocking the way forward.

  “Say you toss us that there purse at yer waist lass.” The second shorter man said.

  “What purse?” Gabby whispered her voice barely a squeak.

  “The one tied on your belt. We ain't gonna hurt ya precious, we just want yer coin.” Klein said.

  “I don’t have any money.” Gabby said.

  “Aye, ya do. We ain't blind. We can see it plain as day on yer waist girly.” Klein spat.

  “It’s not money, I promise.” Gabby pleaded.

  “Then yer pops is gonna have to give some to us, that is if he e’er wants to see ya again.” The short man demanded.

  “David grab her.” Klein barked to the shorter man.

  David stalked toward her and pulled his makeshift belt from around his waist. It wasn’t more than an old span of rope, but it would do the trick of binding her well enough. Timidly he reached out toward her. As if she were a stray animal he didn’t want to scare away. And Gabby was in shock not moving only watching the event from what seemed the outside of her body.

  Gabby blinked for what seemed an eternity. The ally was quiet and still and then everything started moving too fast for her to follow. She heard a soft crack followed by a pop. Next came a violent high shrill. Gabby came out of the haze she was in; motion returning to normal.

  She was in on top of the man she thought was named David, rope was twisted around his wrist loose ends in Gabby’s hands. Without knowing what she was doing she had looped the rope around his hand and from the sound broken his elbow and popped the shoulder out of its socket.

  Klein ran forward at Gabby reaching for a knife at his belt.

  A guard that was summoned by the scream came around the corner. He reached for the cudgel on this waist. As he did Klein came into reach of Gabby, she spun on him and kicked him in the throat.

  “GRHHHHHUPPHH!” Klein exclaimed as he fell backward.

  The guard stood wide-eyed not fully understanding what was happening. He swore that he heard a woman shriek, but the only woman here was standing over one man his arm clearly twisted in an unnatural shape and another man unconscious on the ground.

  “Uh, miss you alright?” The guard asked hesitantly still holding this cudgel.

  Gabby said nothing, she still felt as if she were seeing everything from outside, it was like watching another person use her body. The guard came closer , she could hear the soft whimpering curses and pleadings from the man who’s arm she held contorted.

  “Let him go miss.” The guard said.

  Gabby blinked and stared at the guard. She could hear him, but she couldn’t quite understand what the man’s words meant. She could see sweat forming on the man’s brow and noticed his fingers tightening on the leather wrapped handle of the cudgel. Everything seemed to be moving so slowly and yet faster than it ever had.

  She blinked another eternally long blink. She knew the guard was about to lift the cudgel and swing it at her. She didn’t know why she knew that only that she did. She knew that he would lift it and swing it at the back of her neck. Maybe it was the slight shift of his body she thought. Or perhaps the way his toe pointed, and his grip tightened. Whatever the reason she knew and watched in slow motion as he raised his polished club.

  It was a strange thing to notice. She thought, a polished club, a cudgel Tony would say. She felt as if she could see and feel everything. Her heart was pounding and something inside her cried to be released. She tried to hold it back but couldn’t.

  The rope whipped out from around David’s deformed arm and flew through the air hitting the guard in the face. Gabby shifted right and turned, angling herself outside of the guard’s swing.

  She was to the side of the guard as his cudgel descended past where she had been. She jabbed her fist hard into the poor man’s ribs, as she slid behind him.

  Gabby grabbed his free arm and pulled it over her shoulder as she spun around. Another popping sound accompanied a guttural scream as she yanked down hard. The guard shouted more incoherent obscenities as he followed over Gabby’s shoulder, landing atop of the prone whimpering man.

  Everything started to return to normal as Gabby reach the apothecary shop, but for some reason she couldn’t recall how she had gotten there. Staring at the same selves filled with all manner of salves and poultices, she each time she visited. Everything was a haze; she could remember some men trying something. For the life of her, she couldn’t figure out what.

  Ivy grabbed her arm and shook her. “Gabby, you need to move.”

  She noticed the small line that had formed in front of her trying to get out the door to the street. “Oh, sorry. I’ll move.”

  The small group mumbled as they moved passed her.

  “What is wrong with you? They were standing there for a long time, asking you to move.” Ivy questioned.

  “Something happened Ivy. I was on my way here and some men, they…”

  Ivy gasped. “They what?”

  “I can’t remember.” Gabby growled. “I only remember two men or maybe there was a third.”

  “Nothing else? You don’t know what happened. Are you hurt?” Ivy inquired. Her mind was going throug
h only the most terrifying things that could happen to a young woman.

  “Uh, I remember a noise. A crunching sound like some boards and some popping noises.” Gabby recalled.

  “Goddess, is that blood on your dress? And are you missing a shoe?!” Ivy exclaimed.

  “Uh, I don’t know… Everything is so confusing.” Gabby started to feel dizzy.

  Gertrude had made her way to them. She placed her hand on Gabby’s shoulder as she started to sway. “She’s gonna pass out dearie.” Gertrude said to Ivy. A moment later Gabby fell against the apothecary as the world spun around her.

  Chapter 9

  Lafe trudged out of the land warden’s office strangling a small piece of parchment. The meeting did not go well. The price to buy property was much more expensive than he had been quoted last year. At this rate, it would be at least another year before he could get an agreement.

  For the plan to work he had to look like he was preparing for his pending marriage. It might work without property, but most would not believe he was preparing a for a home without it. Even without their plan, Lafe needed to get the land so that he could marry Gabby.

  Part of the Marriage Covenant was to provide hearth and home for his family. Without a land contract, he would have to enter into a contract with his father-in-law or settle for a lesser status in the community. The Marriage Covenant was the start of a process to expand the rights of the individuals in the country.

  There were three castes in the system each had their own rights added to the others and the marriage covenant was a big part of it, First Caste, was nothing more than a recognition that your heirs had a right to anything you owned. Owning property was not part of this, anyone could enter this with few exceptions. They needed the registrar to have their names documented, otherwise, it would go back to the lord’s estates.

  The Second Caste was for the merchant level caste and dealt with ownership of businesses and the right of spouses in the business. This protected all goods in the possession of the household but did not require ownership of any lands, only a merchant’s deed and documentation at the registrar’s office.

  The Third Caste involved becoming a landowner. It allowed for the inheritance of lands and property. The family was also promised formal representation in court affairs. It prevented service from being denied in any of the shops, provided the family could afford the services. The city guard was required to look over the property once a season. It was the highest level of caste a family could have outside of the noble lines.

  Lafe wanted Third Caste for them, but he was beginning to see why there were so many that only ever got the first and second level Marriage Covenants. Lafe would have to set aside all his salaries for the next year to buy the smallest parcel of land up for sale and hope that it was still for sale when he could afford it.

  Even then it was unlikely he could afford it because the small lots were usually only available to purchase at the land auctions. The only way to ensure you could get a place in the auction was to be of the Third Caste. Otherwise, you would have to pay fees for entry and there were limited spaces reserved for those not of the Third Caste.

  Lafe looked at down at the parchment in his hand and sighed. This was going to be hard to fulfill his part of the plan. He needed a place to store everything for their plan to work. He needed more coin, a years’ worth of coin.

  The hour-long walk did nothing to give him any ideas. He looked into the open workshop of the bowyer as he passed, and an idea came to him. The Black Yew, he had forgotten about it with all the excitement of the piles of gold they had found. That tree could easily get him enough money to buy some land. Not a small parcel but at least modest size lot.

  “I need a wagon, horses, and a few axes.” He thought out loud.

  His mind began to race with the possibility of getting back to the monastery and harvesting the tree. This was how he could get the land and enter into the Third Caste with Gabby. Even if they never got into the treasure room and became rich, he and Gabby would be set. Their children would be set, they could have the best tutors and not have to follow in his footsteps as a lumber worker. Life was going to be good, he thought.

  The next day Lafe hauled lumber as normal, but when the day was over instead of going home. He took his wagon with his horse along with two mules and made his way back to the monastery.

  The journey was uneventful aside from getting the wagon stuck twice in some roots and mud. He was making good time, but he figured by the time he had the tree cut down, stripped the limbs off, and got it on the wagon it would be well past the middle of the night. He was going to have to camp out there.

  “At least it looks like it will be a good night.” He told his horse. “Our own little adventure Gabby would say.”

  The horse didn’t respond but Lafe continued anyway. “You’re right, we shouldn’t camp in the monastery because of the possibility of running into the skeleton again. But we can get as much work done as possible and camp on our way back.”

  Lafe arrived at the monastery as the sun was beginning to set. He unhooked the horse from the wagon and started to work. By the time the sun had set, and darkness was fully over them Lafe had cut the tree down and had started to work on removing the limbs.

  It was going fast and Lafe was pleased. The farther away from the creepy old monastery he was when he made camp the better. And if the clouds stayed away, he might be able to make his way back to town despite nightfall.

  An idea came to him, some of the branches that he had were far taller than he was, yet thin enough to go through small openings. He found a fairly straight branch and stripped it down, clearing off the leaves and smaller sticks off it. Lafe carried the stave as if it were a spear as he walked toward the door. He wanted to be ready for anything as he entered the monastery.

  Lafe stopped briefly in front of the open door. He stared into the darkness beyond and his mind started to summon nightmares he could all but see. “It’s all in your mind”, he told himself aloud.

  Gathering his courage and a lantern he walked in.

  He let out the breath that he had been holding. Everything was the same. Exactly the way he left it. His courage was bolstered, and he walked to the room with the treasure.

  His first attempt at getting some of the treasure failed, trying to drag a pile of coins off the desk and through the bars was never going to happen. The following attempt to remove a bag almost worked had the cloth sacks not been so old and frail, just falling apart when he tried to move them. His third and last attempt ended with a hole being stabbed through what he now recognized as rotting leather.

  It was clear to him that nothing was going to be coming out before they came back with Tony. He was going to have to tell the others that the monastery seems to be deserted and the training might not be all that necessary anymore. As he started to leave, he saw the sarcophagus.

  If there was a ring or some sort of jewels in there, he might not have to spend all night in cutting down that tree. Another few minutes wouldn’t hinder his work too much.

  Lafe stared at the small opening where Gabby had reached into and jammed the Black Yew stave into it and with all his might pushed. It was a heavy stone lid, but it did move. The progress, slow though it was, encouraged the idea of quick wealth. After repositioning the leaver, a fourth time he heaved with all his might. His work caused an unseen crack to finish opening and a chunk of the lid slid free and crashed to the ground.

  There inside the stone tomb was a leathery, wrinkled being. It looked vaguely like a woman in what was at one time a very costly gown, with a copper colored corset. There was nothing else. Only the remains of someone that was important to someone else a long time ago. This was somehow even more depressing than not being able to get any coins from the treasure room.

  He let the stave fall from his hands as he stared down at her. “Sorry, I shouldn’t have disturbed you.” Feeling guilty at breaking open this woman’s final resting place he walked back out to finish what
he came to do.

  After getting back outside and building a small fire he went about stripping the other branches from the trunk of the tree. This took a few hours, but even though he was getting exhausted he was still sure he would be able to get the tree loaded and begin his journey home.

  The trunk was too long to load as one piece, so he cut it in half and loaded them both on the wagon with the mules. The larger branches were loaded on the wagon and packed on the mules. He left all the smaller branches in the courtyard; they would be of little value and would take far too much time to gather by himself.

  He estimated it was a few minutes after the third bell and he would be able to make it back by sunup if he left now and didn’t get stuck. So, he grabbed the lead rope and guided the small line of pack animals back to the forest. His future now secured, and destiny set in motion.