Retribution by Benjamin J. Boswell

Author:Benjamin J. Boswell [Boswell, Benjamin J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781731155719
Published: 2018-11-25T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Assassins!

A sound woke the man. He grabbed his knife on the nightstand and sat up. A knock came at the door. The man got out of bed and walked over to the door, opening it a crack.

“The Retribution has returned,” said a voice.

“It’s about time,” the man grumbled. “Assemble the team and see if our source has dropped any information for us.”

“Yes, sir.”

The man closed the door and smiled.

- - -

It had been hard telling her mother and family that she wouldn’t be able to stay for Christmas after all. Watching the lights of Tewksbury recede into the distance as she left her family and friends behind once more was difficult. At least she had other friends who were with her—Marigold, Geoffrey, Mac, Joel, Oluchi, and others.

They had made their best speed getting to Lancaster and provisioning supplies in the middle of the night from the naval yard had not been as difficult as Esther had assumed it might be. It had started to snow during the night, but that hadn’t slowed them down much either.

Esther had considered waiting to depart until morning, but had not wanted to delay the journey to the Northern Kingdoms any more than she had to. She felt the urgency of war upon them now. The last of the provisions were being loaded aboard and they would soon set sail for Rodheim. She decided to get some much needed sleep—but first, she was going to take a nice, warm bath.

Now that fall was soon to give way to winter, Mac kept the stove set in the wall between the great cabin and the port-side quarter galley where her bath was going full-time to keep the chill of the frigid air at bay. Esther stepped into her bathing quarter-galley and made sure the thick burgundy drapes hanging over the darkened windows on the aft wall were closed all of the way before stepping up next to the copper tub. She took off her belt and scabbard, placing them on the small table next to the bathtub as she usually did, and pulled off the rest of her clothing, placing it in a neat pile on the floor. She blew out all but one of the lanterns, leaving it lit to suffuse the room with its warm glow, then stepped on the small wooden stool and into the tub. She gently lowered herself down into the warm water with a long, contented sigh, placing a hand on her growing belly, her thoughts focused on the infant child.

Though still small, her belly was getting bigger every day and she began to wonder if her mother and Charity were correct. Maybe she was having twins—she didn’t remember any other first-time mothers being this big, this early. Esther sighed again, letting her thoughts and worries go. Like everything else, she would handle it if and when it came. Right now, she was content to simply enjoy this bit of luxury. She wished she could have had the water warmer,

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