Chapter 4

A Mercenary's Captain

"Thank you for meeting us, Hans," said Gustav. As per his instructions, Hans had waited thirty minutes and then set forth for the docks, where he was to meet Gustav's most trusted companions. "Allow me to introduce Heinrich..."

The oldest of Gustav's companions (though scarcely older than Hans himself) waved a gesture of polite greeting to Hans, and muttered a hello.

"Karl..." Gustav gesticulated more forcefully to another of his friends, of a height with Heinrich and most likely related, as he shared Heinrich's dark hair. If Hans had to guess, Heinrich and Karl were brothers.

Karl's gesture, too, was forceful, as if he were not sure of Hans' ability to see his hand. He made some other gestures besides his greeting, but did not speak.

"And Rolf." Gustav gestured to the shortest and lithest of the men; indeed, to describe Rolf as a "man" at all would be generous indeed. Why, he couldn't have seen ten winters yet!

"Pleasure," the lad stated, nodding his head. With a voice as high as that, he couldn't have seen eight winters yet.

"I am pleased to meet all of you. But what is your purpose, Gustav, in introducing us?"

"The four of us will accompany you on your journey to Arendelle, Hans, for ten golden marks each, in advance."

"This is no child's play," said Hans. "I cannot be a father to Rolf."

"Nor would I be a child to you, Hans, with due respect," said Rolf.

"He may be short and slender as a dagger," said Heinrich, "but with such a weapon in his hand, he is deadly indeed. He'll serve you as well as I will." Hans noticed that Heinrich was making some strange gestures in Karl's direction, and Karl was making equally strange gestures in return.

"Rolf has indeed been a great asset to me," said Gustav. "He will earn every penny of his price."

"I do not doubt that he will earn his keep any more than I doubt that he will live to enjoy it," said Hans. "In fact, I suspect he will more likely earn his keep than live to enjoy it."

Heinrich fixed Hans with a heated glare. "Karl and I will protect Rolf with our lives, Hans, just as we always have."

Hans turned to Rolf and knelt to look him in the eye. "You may join me, and earn ten golden marks, at your own peril. My journey is perilous."

"Where my brothers go, I will go," said Rolf. "Our journey, too, has been perilous, yet we remain together."

"As you wish," agreed Hans. "I am willing to hire all of you for my desperate gambit against Queen Elsa of Arendelle. Meet me at the Feuerzauberer in twenty minutes, and I shall have your payment ready."

"Agreed," said Gustav, and they shook hands.

As Hans turned to walk towards the castle and retrieve some gold from his hidden stash, he was accosted by three tall, blond, bearded men.

"Prince Hans," the middle man spoke, "I overheard your conversation with that other band of ruffians. If it is a desperate gambit against Queen Elsa of Arendelle that you embark upon, then the three of us would lend our strength to yours."

"Who are you," asked Hans, "and what is my business with Queen Elsa to you?"

"I am Turgeis," said the middle man, "and these are my brothers Truan..." He gestured to his left. "...and Tyrfing." He gestured to his right.

"We but lately hailed from Arendelle; do you not remember us?" asked Tyrfing. "But for your aid, we would certainly be dead."

"Yea, milord; your blankets and warm soup were the only thing that stood between us and death that day," added Truan. "We owe you our lives, and if we are to repay that debt in an attack against her who nearly killed us, so much the better."

"What price for your service?" asked Hans. "I am in haste to deliver stipend to those other men too; speak quickly."

"Five marks each," Tyrfing answered at once.

"Done."

The fifty-five marks were heavier in Hans' pouch than he thought they would be, yet the chest from which he had taken them seemed no lighter or emptier for their absence. Lars' gift to him had been grand indeed; Hans wondered why he had never appreciated how grand it was until now.

On further reflection, Hans knew why: Until now, he had had no use for so much gold. Nothing that he could possibly have purchased with it would have made it any easier to escape the Southern Isles, until now. In fact, given that Hans had never had two gold coins to rub together before Lars gave him this gift, it would have been scandalous indeed for him to have such a trove now.

And it would be scandalous even now, of course. He tied the purse-string around his neck and concealed it under his coat; he closed, locked, and hid his chest; and then he departed from his bedchamber to meet his new recruits.

All seven of them were at the bar of the Feuerzauberer, Gustav deep in conversation with Turgeis, when Hans approached them.

"I have your payment ready," interrupted Hans, exposing his neck and the leather thong encircling it.

Turgeis rose and reached around to pull the strap up over Hans' head and extracted his purse from his coat. "Solid gold by the weight of it. You deal more fairly than most nobility."

"Forty of those marks are to be divided evenly among Gustav and his men, and the other fifteen among you and your men, Turgeis, according to my agreements with each of you," said Hans. He waited until he saw everybody nod in agreement before continuing. "Rest well today and tomorrow, and meet me at the docks the day after. You will need your strength for what comes next."

Hans could hardly believe his good fortune. In less than a day, he had already secured the service of more than half of the force that he had promised his father, and for far less gold than he thought he would need.

Unless, of course, they killed each other over the gold that he had given to Gustav; but either Gustav was honest enough to give the rest of the men what Hans had promised, or Hans was a worse judge of character than he thought he was. Whether he would still have seven men under his command tomorrow morning, or whether he would learn a much-needed lesson in treachery, Hans had spent those fifty-five marks well.

As he weighed the likelihood that Gustav was honest against the likelihood that he was dishonest, Hans concluded that the former carried more weight. Gustav led those three brothers who seemed extremely close... almost as close as Elsa and Anna, he thought with a shiver that had nothing to do with the chill of early winter.

Heinrich struck Hans as being extremely protective of his younger brothers, and despite Karl's seeming inability to speak or hear, and despite Rolf's youth, they were so closely bound that not even a quest as desperate as Hans' could break them asunder.

Yes, an honest man could command such loyalty much more easily than a dishonest man: They would more than earn their keep, and if Hans made prudent use of them, then most likely they would all live to enjoy their reward.

As Hans lay down on his bed and pulled the fur blanket over himself, he did not even have any regrets that he could not say the same for himself.

Sleep overcame him more quickly than he thought it would, and so did the familiar nightmares about Anna, made worse now by the needles of fire in his heart.

The next morning, Hans nearly collided with a dark-haired man as he stepped out of his bedchamber. Hans recognized him immediately as Sigmund, one of the king's most valued spies.

"Good morning, Hans," said Sigmund. "King Haakon has informed me of your mission and instructed me to offer you my aid."

Hans was not pleased to hear that, and unfortunately he was probably unsuccessful in concealing his displeasure. Guttersnipes did not become well-paid agents by turning a blind eye to such things.

"I will do what I can without your aid, though I thank you all the same," replied Hans. "Am I safe in presuming that the offer stands through the next two sunsets?"

"It does, though His Majesty the King will have harsh words with you for stalling that long," said the spy. "You cannot possibly mean to fund this venture yourself! A ship alone would cost more than you will ever have to your name, even if there are any to be bought."

"Groveling at my father's feet is the last, and least, of my options. If I can find another way to carry out his orders, then I will."

"It is not groveling at His Majesty's feet to accept my aid, offered in good faith, Prince Hans."

"Aid offered at the behest of my father, and which I therefore have cause to mistrust."

"Be careful, Prince Hans. It would not do for any prince to speak treason, even the lowliest of them all."

"Your warning is noted. Good day, Sigmund."

Hans walked down the hallway away from Sigmund, feeling the spy's eyes on the nape of his neck, and finally he found his way out of that hell of a castle.

A ship alone would cost more than you will ever have to your name.

Hans cursed himself for a fool as he headed towards the docks. Why hadn't he thought of this yesterday when he had met Gustav's men there? Of course they would need their own ship, especially now that he had no hope of getting one from his father.

The dockhands were only too happy to tell Hans about the ships that were moored at the docks, awaiting the warmer weather of spring. The Dane was built for speed, but it was also lately purchased by King Haakon himself; Hans would never be able to buy it.

The Svartalf was Lars' personal flagship, moored for the duration of his visit to the king, awaiting his return to his earldom of Skaggerik to the northwest. Though Hans was sure that Lars would be kind enough to offer the use of his ship, even if only in exchange for the remainder of his golden gift, Hans knew that it would be unwise to make such an alliance clear to the rest of the kingdom in such a way.

The Eisengarder was on the far side of the docks: A sturdy ship with a large berth for cargo, though ill-suited to military ventures other than transport.

"Aye, old Bjorn is getting pretty long in the tooth," said the guard, "and he's talked somewhat about enjoying the remainder of his years in peace. He's done fairly well for himself, but I'm not sure if he's serious about leaving his life as a traveling merchant behind."

"Where does he live?" asked Hans. "It would please me to learn more about commerce from such a distinguished trader."

"Right here by the docks. He rents a hostel on Shipwright's Row. First house on the right as you leave the docks."

Hans found it within minutes, and he knocked on the door.

"Aye?" a voice weathered by age replied from behind the door. "Who comes to my house?"

"I am Hans," said the prince.

The door opened, and an elderly man, bald at the crown but with silver hair about his temples, greeted him. "I am Bjorn Abenteuer," said he. "What brings such a fine lord to my humble home?"

Hans could not tell whether Bjorn's flattery was in earnest or in mockery, so he chose to ignore it. "May I enter, sir?"

"Aye, come in." Bjorn stood aside to grant Hans access to his domain.

It was a modest home, well furnished but with no decoration so speak of. Hans sat down at the table, and Bjorn sat opposite him.

"I see you have a fine ship," said Hans.

"Aye, that I do," said the elder. "If that blackguard Haakon wants anything from me..."

"No, no," insisted Hans. "This is strictly for my own benefit. I happen to be in need of a ship and would therefore inquire what price you would put on yours."

"Fifty years ago my father bought that ship for my benefit. One thousand marks, and though his debts were paid, he didn't have two pennies for Charon."

"I am sorry for your loss," said Hans, eager for the old man to move on to other topics. It would be unwise to make his offer while Bjorn was in the middle of reminiscing about his family.

"No great loss; other dooms may be avoided, but not old age. I paid back his debt to the Reaper easily enough, traveled the seas, earned enough coin that I can live fairly well here; but it would dishonor his memory to part with his greatest gift to me for a penny less than he paid for it."

"One thousand marks," repeated Hans, rising to his feet. "I will return before sunset, and you shall have the price you demand for the Eisengarder.Farewell."

Hans departed the old man's house and headed to the town square, hoping that it was late enough in the morning for Gustav to take a meal or some drink at the Feuerzauberer.

He was not disappointed. All seven of his men were seated at one of the larger tables, playing some game of cards; gold and silver lay gleaming on the table in front of them.

"Is it with my payment that you are wagering?" Hans asked them quietly.

"Since we have nothing else to spend this gold on... yes, it is," explained Tyrfing. "Is that a problem?"

"As long as you each received the payment we agreed upon, it is your decision how to spend it," said Hans. "Nobody is to be forced nor forbidden to gamble away their earnings; beyond that, you may do as you please with them."

"A wise edict, Hans," said Truan. "Care to make a wager?"

"I have no time for such play; and now I fear that neither do you."

"What do you mean?"

Hans took a seat at the table and leaned forward to avoid being overheard.

"I have a large sum of gold in my chamber in the castle, which I must transport to a hostel by the docks before sunset."

"Sounds like a job for me," opined Rolf. "I can sneak in and out easily enough."

"You are all under my command, and so long as you remain with me, I will vouch for you," said Hans. "Stealth should not be necessary. But let's go."

As they departed the tavern and made for the castle, Heinrich asked "What, if I may ask, is the purpose of this gold?"

"It is for the purchase of a ship," replied Hans, looking around to ensure that nobody else was within earshot. "Or did you think that we would swim to Arendelle?"

Tyrfing laughed. "A fine jest, Hans! You would spend a fortune just to twist the king's nose!"

"My pride, such as it is, is worth it," answered Hans. "Besides, as you said of yourselves, I have nothing else to spend this gold on."

Soon they arrived at the castle gates, and the gatekeeper demanded "Who goes there?"

"Hans Westergaard and his entourage," replied Hans.

"Since when did Hans Westergaardhave an entourage?" the guard asked.

"These men have sworn loyalty to a prince of the Southern Isles; as they answer to me, I will answer for them."

"So be it. You may pass." The gate swung open.

Once they were inside the courtyard, Hans hoped that it would not take long to reach his bedchamber, divide the gold among his men, and escape.

However, Heinrich seemed to have a different idea as he observed an elderly soldier instructing two younger men: a pair of new recruits by the looks of them, not yet worthy of the uniform.

"Wolfgang?" he called out.

The elderly soldier glanced in Heinrich's direction. "Do I know you, boy? Don't interrupt a soldier on duty!"

But Gustav, Karl, and Rolf had already joined Heinrich, and Hans had no choice but to join them as well, just to keep them out of the dungeon.

"Wolfgang! Do you not remember me? Gustav?"

"Ah, yes. You fought for Lars in the Riverland Wars. You dare much by coming here of all places."

"I remember how you kept the Lichberg children hidden when His Highness Prince Caleb ordered you to torch the farm and slaughter the farmers," whispered Gustav. Then he gestured to Heinrich and his brothers. "More importantly, so do they."

"Silence," whispered Wolfgang. "Do you want me to lose my head?"

"You disobeyed orders from the crown prince?" one of the recruits asked, visibly impressed.

"Shut up, Alric," said the other recruit, "or he will lose his head, and so will we."

"Peace, Ranulf," said Wolfgang to the recruit who had just spoken. Turning to Gustav again, he asked "What business brings you to Copenschloss, anyway?"

"My business," replied Hans, stepping forward. "Which, unless you would join me, is none of yours."

"Prince Hans!" exclaimed Wolfgang upon seeing the young prince for the first time. "What are you...? You can't possibly mean to..."

"I can, and I do," said Hans. "Father has his orders for me, but I will carry them out on my terms, with your aid or without."

"You're planning something grand, aren't you?" asked one of the recruits; if Hans' memory was correct, he had been called Ranulf. "Count me in."

"Alric will be dead in a day if I'm not there to keep him alive," said the other recruit, and Hans realized his error in memory immediately. "Count me in too."

Wolfgang looked at the two erstwhile recruits, then at the four men who were with Hans, then at the three men who were just joining the conversation. Hans could see the old soldier's gloved fingers working the numbers.

"Very well," Wolfgang acquiesced. "Since my head is likely to roll anyway if I stay, and since I have few enough years left in me, I too will join you, Hans."