Side-Story – Interludes: Volume Two – CH.130.5 – Brandy – Tending The Spoils and The Future

Well this was weird.

Prasta and Limb were helping the girls up onto the wagon. Some were so weak and malnourished they weren't even able to climb up on their own. The few who were had voluntarily stayed off the wagon, to both help their fellows and to ensure those who needed help had enough room. The wagon was simply not big enough for so many at once.

I'd only brought one, which was my fault. Vim had said a few dozen, and I had been expecting most of them to be able-bodied…

"Thanks again Brandy," Vim said, speaking lowly. I noted he spoke in this land's language, not the eastern one we'd all been using the last few hours.

"Of course, Vim. Women like them are part of the reason I do what I do," I said. My whole faith was centered around helping such girls.

Really, there was no reason for him to thank me. He wanted them to have proper care and attention, and since the ship was not registered to our guild it would have to wait a day or so before making port. I'll have to go register the duties and fees for it before he could dock, else it'd get seized and searched by the magistrate of Lumen.

He had come to the Bell Church to find help, and we had lucked into one another. Honestly I was glad I was here, because those at the Bell Church would have only given superficial aid. The bloody fools were too old and scared to do much else anymore.

The protector of the Society only nodded as he studied the wagon and the women upon it. They were all dressed, though not entirely properly. I had simply brought a few bundles of basic clothes and supplies from the Bell Church. It was honestly not enough; a few of the girls only had a shirt or a blanket on since I'd not brought enough.

They were all blonde haired, the dirty golden that one found in the far east prairies. I didn't need to hear their whole story, since I'd heard it countless times before. Odds are most of them hadn't been kidnapped or captured, but instead simply sold off by their own people. Their own families. That was how the lands were over there, a place so poor and harsh that most daughters were sold off before they even reached maturity. And the few who did get lucky enough to reach adulthood half the time ended up selling their own selves out of necessity.

It was the kind of land that I'd always wondered why our church had never seeped into. Of all places for our faith to exist, and to do its proper job, it was there. Yet for whatever reason we had never tried.

"You might get back before we do," I said as I glanced away from the wagon and to the horizon. The ship Vim had captured was out there, anchored at sea. Supposedly a young human pirate was on it, waiting for Vim to return. It was a beautiful ship, but one for war not excursions or transport. Not that it wasn't valuable… I actually knew the ship by name and sight, since it was one of only a handful its size and with such military capacity. Here in the inland sea that thing was as important as a king's crown.

It had been owned by the pirates turned brigadiers. People hired to either protect cargo or get it back from pirates.

I of course knew of Vim's pirate friends. It was thanks to them, or well… their ancestors at least, that we even had Lumen to begin with. It had been the pirate queen lord way back in the day that had given us permission to settle and open our first church and business in the city. Only because of Vim, to boot.

"Maybe. Yes, you can have the ship. But only under the condition you let the boy captain it," Vim then said.

I smirked at him. "I wasn't even thinking about that," I told him honestly.

He sighed at me in a way that told me he hadn't believed me. But it had been true, I hadn't. I'd been more concerned over the girls than much else.

Some louder voices drew my attention back to the wagon. I found Limb handing out waterskins to the group, and as the group of girls distributed them amongst each other they all raised them as to give thanks. I watched them for a moment, somewhat fascinated on how Vim always seemed to get himself involved in such things.

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I've lived a long time, and I was considered one of the more important members in the Society. I helped run pretty much all enterprises within it, ensuring the Society's coffers stayed full and healthy. As such I was typically involved in many of the finer workings, and a lot of the events and issues such as this. Yet in all my years it was not often such moments like this occurred… and when they did, most of the time if not all of the time, Vim was involved in it.

Glancing at the man in question, I found him picking at a nail. He looked bored as he messed with it.

Really… why was a man so fixated by the world still alone? Where was she, I wonder? You'd think a man who was such a vacuum for drama and chaos would have found her by now… or she him… maybe Gerald was right, maybe she died without any of us knowing. Long ago, abandoned and forgotten somewhere because we had failed or…

"Well, I'll get going then, unless you need anything Brandy," Vim then said.

I nodded. "Sure. We'll meet you back at the company," I said.

He nodded back as he glanced at the ship on the horizon. The thing again looked real nice, though he had said it had been damaged in the storm. "Ah…" he then perked up and turned to look at me. I frowned as he gave me an odd smile, one I'd not seen on his face in a long time. "When you get there make sure to introduce yourself to our new member," he said.

New member…? "Did you bring me new employees?" I asked, a little excited to hear so. In all honesty we did need help, ever since Sally's death and the few who had left because of it we'd been short-staffed.

"Well… maybe. I'm hoping she will be one, to be honest. So treat her well for me, so that she might just end up staying with you," he said.

She…? "What's this? You're voicing an opinion like that…? Who are you talking about?" I asked. Vim of course had opinions, but he so rarely shared the ones like that. To him sharing his wants and needs concerning members and what he wanted, or even hoped, they did or didn't do was almost the antithesis to his whole personality.

"She's a predator. A real one. Her names Renn, and honestly I've begun to worry she's become too reserved ever since a mishap up north, and lately she's been…" Vim started to speak, to tell me about her, but for a small moment… I heard nothing.

Not his voice. Not the sound of the distant ocean waves. Not the dozens of just recently rescued slaves…

Just my heartbeat.

Renn.

He said Renn.

She was here.

My body went cold as I quickly tried to contain my own thoughts and emotions. I locked my own heart away as I quickly reached into my pocket as to pull out my coin. I rubbed it quickly, doing my best to not let my heartbeat become too quick. Vim could hear heartbeats, even at a distance. "Well, if we can house those like Merit I'm sure we can make room for another," I said lightly, hoping I had not misheard or missed something important in his little speech. I had missed some of the tail end of his statement.

Vim huffed at me. "She's nowhere near as bad. You'll see."

Oh. I bet. And yes. I will.

"Well, I'll make sure to meet her first thing once I'm back. Is she…" I hesitated, then realized I shouldn't ask or say anything.

He was speaking about her as if she was just another member. One he was meant to find a home, and then leave her there in it.

He wasn't with her yet. They weren't together yet. Not a mated pair. Not husband and wife…

I coughed as Vim frowned at me, in a way that told me my hesitation had been obvious. "Sorry, my mind's occupied by that ship," I said with a point at it.

Vim turned to look at it, and then his frown softened. He obviously found that to be very understandable, for he simply nodded. "Yeah… like I said, it needs some repairs but once it gets them the thing will be great. Anyway, I better get back before some other pirate tries to steal it from us," he said.

Chuckling for a moment, I made sure not to actually laugh. I knew if I did he'd find it odd, because right now I'd not laugh at anything. No matter how hilarious a joke was. My heart was too shocked, my mind too stunned, for such a thing. "Then go on then. I'll have the permit ready in two days, promise."

"Thanks. See you later," Vim nodded once more and then turned to step away. He paused before he did, looking one last time to the wagon nearby… and then finally turned and left.

Watching him go, I felt relief flood through me as sweat began to drip down my neck and spine.

By the gods dead and alive she was here. Finally. And I had almost stumbled! After hundreds of years! I'd be exiled and banished if after all this time I…

Oh no. the others. Merit. She was there.

She knew. But did she know enough…? To not do something stupid…?

Panicking, I turned and hurried to the wagon. I needed to get these girls readied and back to Lumen. Fast.

I needed to go back to make sure all was well. That all would go well. No matter the cost.

They needed to fulfill their duty. Their prophecy. We've been waiting all this time…

"Might already be too late…" I whispered.

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