The Birth of Chaos by Ethan James Clarke

Author:Ethan James Clarke [Clarke, Ethan James]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Wicked Wolf Books
Published: 2014-09-17T04:00:00+00:00

* * *

The Dancing Pike was a warm, ripe melting pot when Jannis stepped into it from the dark night outside. The barrelhouse was filled with sailors and their raucous laughter, drowning out the merry tune that a thin woman was playing on her lyre near the cold fireplace. Serving girls were scurrying to refill tankards thrust out to them by the patrons, while the tavernkeeper was hovering near the bar and keeping a watchful eye over his establishment. Through all the bustle Jannis immediately noticed a lone figure sitting in one corner, hunched over a mug and not joining in any of the coarse jokes and merry laughter. Jannis made his way to Marke Salt and sat down on the bench opposite him, motioning for a serving girl to bring him a mug. He needed some ale to take his mind off that infuriating woman.

‘I’d have expected to find you up in the keep,’ Jannis said loudly to be heard over the noise. The young man almost jumped out of his skin, spilling some ale on the table and immediately blushing a deep crimson. Jannis couldn’t decide right away whether the redness in his cheeks was blushing or the effects of too much ale.

‘Captain, what a pleasant surprise,’ he said, and Jannis’s unspoken question was answered by the faint thickness of liquor that clung to his voice. ‘I could say the same for you.’

Jannis accepted his mug of ale from the serving girl. She batted her eyelashes at him, but he only smiled kindly and turned back to Marke. ‘I found the keep too much like the palace in Tempest, to be honest. I would much rather be here.’

The Golden Bastard gave a lopsided grin. ‘Then you understand completely.’ He raised his mug in a toast, and Jannis returned the gesture. They sat together in silence for a few minutes. Jannis tried to make out the tune that the woman was playing but it was almost indistinguishable over the din in the common room.

A disturbance rose as two men started raising their voices and it seemed like a fight was about to break out. Marke glanced at where the commotion was and shook his head ruefully. ‘He has been drunk all night, that Guimarre fellow.’

Jannis turned to look and, sure enough, one of the men yelling slurred obscenities was young Trent, the lordling from Highcliff. ‘He’s been here long?’ he asked casually. The innkeeper was bustling over to the two men with a thunderhead on his face. That fight wouldn’t last long.

‘Came in a while after dark,’ Marke said, then took a deep draught of his drink. ‘He looked like he’d seen a ghost, but then, after meeting with Lady Ambores, who wouldn’t be unnerved?’ He shook himself slightly, as if trying to rid himself of a bad memory or a bad taste.

‘Yes. Such a charming lady, that one,’ Jannis said dryly. ‘I’m actually surprised that things were so civil between them.’

Marke frowned. ‘I had wanted to ask before,

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