C.O.W: Chapter 20

  It had gone mid-afternoon when Herrier and Márriére strolled over a northerly bridge in the slums into what was indeed a small area. It wasn't cramped though, there was only a very little space to have been worked with anyway thus making the area incredibly efficient with space. A wall of granite sat against the back of it in two directions making Márriére think she was in the very north-western corner of the slums. Making a triangle the river flowed between  points of the two walls. She had expected it to be muckier, dirtier than what she saw but then she realised then that the current was coming from the other districts and the river hadn't picked up the bad standard of living yet.
It had taken a long two hours walk from the gate to get here, 'a sign of how big the city was' Márriére thought if this was just slums so far. Although it had gone midday the sun shone far harder, far more penetrating, than it had done before. Three buildings stood out, two of them were clearly stay-houses of one form or another. Typically cramped, without space for eating and had holes in the roof Márriére didn't prospect a night in one. Yet Herrier was dragging her over to one side, to the third building; an inn it seemed. She expected it did its business on the sly as she hadn't seen many inn's on their way here.
Though she already knew the main, obvious, answer Márriére wondered what other business a large building in the slums could provide for its customers. As Herrier pushed open the door she saw, at the back of the room, a few answers. A large table with an attempt at a green felt filled most of the back room, around it five people shoved cards across the broken table and gambled away their money – or someone else's money. A large man with a muscular physique blocked her path, he opened his mouth as if to utter a warning of safekeeping to her but no sound came out; instantly she saw the reason. His tongue, had been chopped off for the last two inches, making him a mute, yet it looked even more daunting that way. An ale keg poured the heavy alcohol from nothing more than a simple tap and spile. Two women with paler skin than her own stood at the bar with arched, provocative backs, talking to one another. One had long black hair much like her own in terms of length; the second had a deep, fiery scarlet hue to it. They wore no more than underwear and men looked at them from different directions. Another whore stood over a gambler, her breasts resting on his head. Stair's of hardwood lay to one side leading up to a selection of rooms. One, Márriére could see behind the banister, was firmly shut: a woman's lingerie hanging on the door handle outside. Looking away from that room she saw another, this time empty, room next to a corridor leading back to what would likely be more corridor's. Still she thought it's probably more protected than most places where people won't care what happens to you; at least you get paid here. As she thought what would be likely to happen here Herrier stepped through the lobby area where they stood and got to the bar. Above the bar, along a large beam of wood, the words 'Silver Chalice' were carved in crudely with some form of dagger or possibly even a hunting dagger, though that was definitely less likely than the previous option. Behind the bar was, presumably, another room but she knew not what it was – she doubted however that in any case it would be a kitchen; most likely a living quarters for the innkeeper knowing his ownership of the building would be shortened dramatically if he slept anywhere else. The barman looked at her and then back at Herrier before Herrier spoke.
"Room" he said, the one word was as impacting as fifty had been to get the same point through. In the slums Márriére had heard no-one use a simple please or thank-you, it was a place where you had to make do for yourself, nothing more and nothing less.
The man nodded and turned to reach behind him, back to a wooden grid of boxes where he reached up and pulled down a relatively small, silver key. "Second corridor, first floor" he said pointing the direction. Herrier turned slowly to take Márriére by her hand and lead up the stairs, away from the averted eye's of others she was happy to know. On the first floor she saw, once up there, more rooms than she had previously seen with another stairwell on the other side of the room, where she had been standing before, unable to see it. Four more rooms were behind a banister on that side of it, two of them clearly 'in use'. Turning into the corridor Márriére wondered momentarily which room would be theirs based on the number she'd seen so far. It was clear though that only one room in fact wasn't being used at the time so Herrier tried the key and turned it as it fitted the hole snugly. Locking the door after him he turned to face Márriére in the room. An unmade single bed was the clear attention of the room, a window had been opened from the inside but bars were outside of it, not that the view of a granite city wall was very good with sewage from two stay-houses and a brothel lingering at the bottom of her view. As a result of which she pulled herself away from the window and instinctevly put her hand out to shut it. Herrier however stretched his hand out and stopped her. In his other hand he held some random clothes and assortments from whoever had been in the room last; these included some copper and silver coins which he dropped onto a makeshift dresser with only two drawers, half an eaten apple which out of the window as it was distinctly rotten and some paper – a shopping list of some sort amongst underwear left behind by customers, even whores. Márriére spent the next few minutes looking around the room for bits of junk which got hastily thrown out the window. Notably however she did pocket an ace of spades which read 'luckee card'll save you frm nastee diseeses'. Thinking it to be of some value in the building were you to look past the crude spelling she left it atop the drawers which now had a respectable pile of copper coins on it. Herrier found his own money bag, small as it was, and poured in the new coins.
"So" Márriére smiled "we're finally in Valiquet, what do you want to do?" Herrier smiled to himself and bent down to push the woman back into the unmade bed.
*
Herrier felt lightly refreshed, though he knew not why that was. Spritely jumping down the stairs he felt a bounce in his step as he walked back up to the bar. The keeper looked up at him, then around the room to check if Márriére was around. She was not.
"Where are the others?" he asked quietly "are they ready to strike, to rebel?" The barman laughed and smiled, something Herrier remembered he did only when he had some good news to share, or when something was about to go off; sometimes even both of them.
"I knew it was you Herrier, been a while. A whole year. The others have fixed up brothels of their own, trying to find out the location of Murrier's own if they can as you told them to. They're spread throughout the slums ready for the revolution you promised before you left; I can give you directions if you wish. Also, to let you know Herrier, they've been recruiting. We're using the tunnels you found under the city as a form of movement from one place to another. There's about a score of thugs under this brothel actually if you want to know, as this is kind of a base we use it to hold meetings every so often, want me to call one up for you?"
"No" Herrier replied. "Something far better, put one of your thugs in control here for the moment, take me to these brothels, the other heads of the revolution. I want to get this started tonight, now. Let's attack Murrier's brothels – see what we can find eh". As he talked he walked over to the side of the bar and pushed open what used to be a garden gate, now used for keeping customers in the main room. The man called for a second as he invited Moss through to the back room where they each knew a hatch would take them into the slum's tunnels – dug by criminals of all races from over the last two centuries, since the city was founded the tunnels led everywhere.
In the room Herrier looked around, various weapons and armour lined the walls and a purple dress had been nailed to one in particular. Underneath the purple dress, which Herrier noted down as silk was a large sized chest. A note resting on the chest read 'For Herrier's return'.
"There's a year's earnings for you in there, minus what we lose for the girl's service's and the bouncer I believe you'll find a total of over eight hundred gold pieces, you've come back to the city a rich man Herrier. Rich enough to fund a revolution when you see where I'm taking you to". On the wall next to the dress and chest, Herrier wondered what the dress was doing but didn't ask, there was a wooden board raised up off the ground by only two inches, a metallic knob embossed the top of it making clear what it was, The barman took a torch from off the wall and bent over to pull up the wooden hatch. A ladder descended downwards into the darkness and he entered it first with Herrier just behind.
Herrier counted the rungs as he stepped carefully down so as not to kick his companion in the face who was carrying the flaming torch to light the way. After fifty rungs the ladder came to a stop in a room much the same as the one above, just without the chest and dress. The walls were made of wooden slats and mud coated them at the same time as rocks tried pushing their way through. Had Herrier not been down before he would have expected the wood to snap, now though he had complete faith in the seemingly frail planks of oak. He pushed the door open abruptly and stepped through to the next room, shocking, as he'd been told, about a score of thugs who sat on beds and around tables until night fell, some were asleep. Eight torches, all around the room, kept it lit and four different passage's could be seen heading off in different directions across the slums. The floor had proper planks on them and each tunnel had a door bound onto it, giving a feel of a base for some sort. Herrier guessed that as soon as one left the compound all safety of the room, as much as could be offered, was gone and you would be without torches, a floor, other people, until the next area. For safety of the thugs there were many passages in-between area's he could remember; thus you could either lose chasers onto you or get lost if you didn't know the way: thug's usually did know the way, and without torches too if necessary. One of the thugs moved forward as if to challenge Herrier without knowing who he was but the barman walked through behind him and the thug backed off, watching the barman's face for any hint of who the man was; then the barman spoke.
"Herrier's back" instantly the thugs snapped to attention as he pointed to six of the thug's in turn and continued "get to the brothels across the slums, tell them of this and tell them Herrier demands an immediate audience in the wrecked guards tower". They shot off from their posts heading to different tunnels, sprinting through the dark passageways like a bat out of hell. The wrecked guards tower lay in the centre of the slums, damaged since the war no-one had bothered to attempt a rebuild in years. The inside of it was split into two where it had caved in. Underneath the caved in rubble criminals had came together to build a safe area. It was well able to house ten gang leaders and their bodyguards.
The barman set off a fast pace in walking through the middle door on the left from the room, holding the torch up high so that Herrier could see. A right turn, then a left turn, then a right again and another right which was followed by two left's in quick succession; it went on for half an hour or more until finally, when Herrier made his last turn, he saw the door which would lead into the tower. Smashing it open with the palms of his hands he walked through with the barman behind him.
Six thugs stood around a map of the slums which had been erected by himself over a year ago. Their seconds stood behind with weapons strapped to their belts and backs. Whatever these people could use, could find, they did. Two of the four Herrier was able to remember from a year previous. Majaan and Fenrok stood proud to be by his side once again. Majaan had came from Harrillen with his family after the war and, after a tough start, had settled down to a life of crime. Captured by Herrier a year previously he had been drafted into the captain's plans though he knew not what they were. Fenrok was from Mise-en-cors. He was a former slave who'd ran off and used criminal help to kill his master, then turning on the criminal he took over the man's network with ruthless control. The barman had to introduce the other four people, for whom he gave a brief explanation of them as he went.
"This is Jamaj" he began, gesturing to a second Harrillen man. "He's Majaan's twin and has had control over several brothels in the area for some time now; if you need protection get him and his brother on your side and your settled is what people are saying in the slums".
"Kienal" he gestured "is the second of the late Ulsberg who you may remember, when Ulsberg died from a whore's disease Kienal took over the territory, his woman are definitely plentiful it has to be said, he has the numbers following him for sure". Kienal looked Valiquet born, larger than most, bulkier too; around thirty years of age Herrier could see twin blades strapped to his arms allowing for stabbing and grappling.
"That is Marrik" he pointed to a broad man "claims he has lord's blood in him, might not be true but he's been able to work up a big mercenary following and has thugs enough, when joined with the rest, to wipe out military power in the slums". At 'might not be true' a grunt almost came from Marrik's mouth and the barman jumped backwards – not that he was in any trouble with so many powerful criminals in the room.
"Finally" the barman pointed to the last member of the group "we have Senra. He might not have the mercenaries or whore's the rest do but every known trader in the slums at this moment in time pays taxes to this man. He's our new corrupt official, gives us information on the guards and transfers many of their funds directly to us, giving himself a nice benefit at the same time".
"You're from Raddalost aren't you?" Herrier asked as the man nodded his head in acknowledgement and spoke out loud. "I can tell as the accent is from well to the east of us here in Valiquet".
Senra nodded "hard to get in the military here if you're not from Valiquet or Harrillen but I can change patrols anywhere you want them to and much much more. Anyway, now that we're all here, should we began?" he said rhetorically.