and one way out. It was time to find Thorold’s office and the information she was looking for - information that would implicate him in a plot with the King of Langemore against King Mattias.
Once again Kane thanked the gods for Brenna’s network of informants. He was in the small room behind the bar at the Wheat Sheaf with Eryl. The thief’s mates guarded the room’s two doors.
“Duke Thorold is asking questions, is he?” Kane asked. Master Arlott’s hat sat on the table in front of him and his fingers absently traced its brim.
“That’s right,” Eryl said. “Somethin’ about a Brotherhood. And he’s spending plenty of crowns to find out about it. He’s looking for books, papers, family histories; anything folk might have got from far off relations that died without more direct kin.”
“Is he having any success?”
Eryl’s smile was feral. “Duke Thorold’s had some luck getting his hands on a few things.” He sipped his ale. “He let his guards handle the deals. I hear they wasn’t too clear on what they were looking for. I also hear the duke was angry that he’d paid good coin for fake papers. It’s unfortunate that no one in the Quarter knew the men who’d sold the items to the duke in the first place.”
“Excellent,” Kane said and laughed. Trust Thieves Quarter to fleece Duke Thorold. “Eryl I will gladly pay double whatever the Duke is offering for any real documents.”
Eryl nodded and Kane smiled. He doubted there was much out there about the Brotherhood - at least not in Kingsreach – but Thorold might have come across a family history in Comack. That could be how he’d come know about the Brotherhood.
“Thorold,” Eryl said. “Is now sending his pet scholar Fridrick to verify each item before payment is received.”
“I think I can send you a few items that can qualify,” Kane said. “There is no real reason to force the duke to keep his crowns is there?” Kane would put Dasid to the task. Surely the Brotherhood had some documents that were either totally harmless or downright misleading.
“It’d be a shame to have a man lookin’ to spend his coin and there be nothin’ for him to buy,” Eryl agreed.
A few hours later Kane sat with Feiren and Dasid in his uncle’s study. Brenna was nowhere to be found and at this late hour Kane guessed she was out roaming the streets. Even after the incident at the library he hadn’t been able to discourage her - but he had to admit his efforts were half-hearted at best. He and his uncle disagreed on this.
Uncle Feiren believed that Brenna must be protected at all costs. She was the key to the future of the country. Kane agreed she was the key but she was also much more than that. As the true heir she was the catalyst that set events in motion. In the short time she’d been with them they already had more and better sources of information - and she’d found the coronet and the book on forging old steel. The Call was look to me to save the line. The Caller was heir to the throne and the leader of the Brotherhood. They had to treat her as such. And his uncle, though he would deny it, was more protective of Brenna because she was a woman.
For Kane, a major challenge would be to get the council – including his uncle - to take direction from Brenna. But it was critical that it happen. Every day he lived with the realities of a king who did not lead well - he would not be responsible for diminishing Brenna’s authority. She must make her own decisions. He would protect and advise her, but the decisions were hers to make. The truth of it was that he had more confidence in Brenna’s decisions than he had in King Mattias’. And a part of him hated that.
He prayed that his king lived a long and productive life, but Brenna had the potential to be a much stronger ruler. He’d sworn two oaths and he was afraid of the choice he’d have to make, because Brenna was what Soule needed, and soon.
“Uncle,” Kane said. “I’m going to have Dasid handle the contacts in the Thieves Quarter from now on. He and I have spoken about this and we both agree that with Thorold sniffing around, it’s better if we keep any Brotherhood business as far from the Rowse estate as possible.”
“Yes, of course,” Feiren agreed. “It makes sense.”
“I also want to start removing all the Brotherhood documents from the house. I don’t trust Thorold not to engineer a search.” His uncle’s smile faltered. He’d dedicated his whole life to preserving the records and to not have access would be a blow.
“I suppose that would be for the best,” Feiren said and sighed deeply. “And only what I deserve.”
“What do you mean?” Kane was puzzled.
“It’s my fault Thorold detests this house, after all. When King Bodan was alive I wasn’t always patient with Thorold. And now he’s been such a challenge for you, Nephew. So, let him come here and find a doddering old man who spends his days reading.”
“Brenna should leave as well,” Kane said. “Thorold does not know about her, but if he connects her to the dead healer and the attempted theft of the knife, we’re lost.”
Thorold slammed the papers down on the table and Fridrick flinched.
“Useless, utterly useless,” he said about the documents Fridrick had brought him.
“They are absolutely genuine my Lord,” Fridrick said hesitantly.
“I’m sure they are. But how am I to get any useful information from a one thousand year old market list?” He grabbed the top sheet and bits of paper flaked off and fluttered in the candle light. “Two chickens, one block of cheese, two barrels of beer, four loaves of bread.” He crumpled the paper up in disgust. “Where are the names?”
“The document clearly states that it’s for a Brotherhood meet, my Lord. I thought you were looking for proof that they existed.”
“What I’m looking for,” Thorold said quietly, “is proof that it exists today. For that I need names, places of residence, something, anything, which can be traced through time to someone alive now. And if it can be traced to Feiren Rowse and his nephew then so much the better. Get out of my sight and find me something useful.” Fridrick quickly bowed and left the room. There had to be a way to tie the Brotherhood to Rowse. Feiren Rowse was involved, he knew it.
Just as he’d known there was something unusual about that healer’s knife. What was her name? Ah yes, Wynne. She was quite a comely woman, and for a time, very pliant in his bed. But then she’d tried to kill him and he’d turned her own knife on her. Her very ancient knife. When he’d held it and cut her with it, it had felt alive in his hand. There had been magic in the knife that night, though he’d never felt it again. Still, he’d been collecting old weapons ever since, hoping to find the key to that magic. That had led to the discovery of documents about the Brotherhood. The two were connected somehow - the Brotherhood and the old weapons. He hadn’t yet figured out how, but he would. A hunch told him that Feiren Rowse was at the centre of it.
thirteen
At Kane’s nod, Brenna dropped her staff. It was hot today. It was summer and the markets would be filled with local food - plump berries, crisp lettuces and fresh herbs. Corn would be ready to harvest soon, with peppers not far behind. In the past Brenna had spent many summer days at Pater’s fruit cart, sampling the first of the crops as they came in.
She wiped her sleeve across her forehead. Not this summer. Instead she was stuck in this walled-in yard learning to use weapons she’d likely never need once she’d avenged her mother’s death. When that was done she wanted a quiet life in a small town somewhere, maybe in Aruntun. At least there her eyes weren’t likely to get her sent to prison. And hopefully she’d be out of the Brotherhood’s reach. Even if she was their heir, she didn’t want to rule Soule. And really, there was hardly a less likely person to put on the throne than a thief like her.
“You’re getting much better with the staff and sword, Brenna,” Kane said. He picked up her staff and settled it, along with his own, in the rack beside the door to the house. “But I think you need more time and a different teacher. You should really spend time at a real weapons training school.”
“I think you a
nd Feiren are doing a fine job,” Brenna said. “You are both captains, what more do I need?”
“Both Uncle Feiren and I are adequate, but you would benefit from instruction by someone with a lot more experience training recruits.” Kane stopped in front of her. “I also think it would be best if you were out of Kingsreach. You could go to the new training school.”
“I’ll agree to leave Feiren’s house,” Brenna said. “But I’m not convinced I need to leave Kingsreach. And I told you, I won’t go train with a school full of youngsters. And when exactly did you decide my future?” How could he possibly believe he could simply arrange her life? She’d thought he knew her better than that. She crossed her arms over her chest and met his gaze, prepared for an argument. To her surprise, Kane nodded and grinned.
“I thought this would be your reaction,” he said. “I told my uncle that a ruler – or heir for that matter – who can’t determine their own course is no better than what we’ll have with Thorold’s son on the throne. Clean up and meet me in my uncle’s study. We need to discuss this - it really is time for you to leave this house.”
Brenna followed him inside and headed to her room to clean up and change. Kane’s reaction had thrown her. She’d expected him to tell her what she should do - instead, he’d been