Retrieve Page 2

  Chapter Two

  From where he sat beside the fire, his hand wrapped around a mug of coffee, Kade groaned aloud as the wagon full of street urchins arrived.

  Meg prodded him with her foot. “Be nice. Try and remember what it felt like to arrive here.”

  Kade shrugged. “I won’t do them any favours by being nice. The world is not a nice place sis.”

  Meg narrowed her eyes. “They already know it’s not nice. A little kindness can go a long way to helping them settle in.”

  His eyebrows rose. “You’ve been reading that book of Cester’s haven’t you?”

  Meg blinked, her cheeks flushing. “Oh. Well. Just a little.”

  Perfect. Now he’s got my sister into his weird religion.

  With a sigh he drained the last of his drink and slowly ambled over to the entrance of the campsite, his eyes already searching for potential candidates.

  One of the senior Stormers, Duke, jumped down from the wagon and headed to the back to offload the new boys. He grinned at them, showing gaps in his mouth, where famine had claimed some of his teeth. “See that pretty girl over there? She’ll feed you then someone will show you around camp.”

  The back of the wagon dropped with a clank as Duke motioned for the boys to disperse. As Kade watched them, a scowl grew along with his irritation at being lumped not just with babysitting duty, but at the weedy looking boys Duke had come back with.

  Duke’s smile merged into a smirk as he came alongside him. “Three say they can climb, most can run pretty quick. Be at least a few weeks till they’ll be anywhere ready to start training.”

  As the other boys scrambled down, Kade scanned them, checking to see who might end up staying in the unit.

  None of the boys made eye contact, all sheepishly moving towards where Meg was beaming at them, ready as always, with a kind word and a smile for orphans and runaways like they all were.

  Face after face of gaunt teenaged boys with hollowed out eyes, chest bones visible, all clothed in worn-out rags, only fit for burning, trailed past him.

  At the end of the line, his eyes locked on the smallest and weakest of the bunch, a filthy faced lad, with oversized clothing, dark eyes and hair who was staring wide-eyed as he took in the camp. Almost like he’s looking for someone.

  “Talk about the runt of the litter,” Kade muttered causing Duke to choke on a laugh.

  As if knowing he was being joked about, the boy met his eye, surprising him, before he fell into step with the others, eyes downcast, narrow shoulders slumped.

  Kade sighed. What was he supposed to be able to do with them? Cester wanted an assessment of potential strengths and weaknesses. But they all looked weak. And most looked so starved they’d likely blow over in a strong breeze, let alone be fit to train for any retrievals.

  What is it with Cester? Always trying to save the underdogs?

  He stepped to where Duke was unhitching the wagon. His brow furrowed as he considered his bad luck. “Where’d you find them anyway?”

  Duke started taking the saddle off the plough horse. “I passed word around the lower district in Kingsport and waited for news to spread.”

  His blue eyes shifted to where Meg was handing a bowl of steaming stew to the scrawniest boy. “If I’d known you were babysitting, I’d have spared you the runt.”

  Kade’s frown only grew as he toyed with the hilt of one of the six knives strapped to his chest. “I better let them eat, then go show them to their tents. Cester will want to meet them all once they’ve eaten.”

  Duke’s lip curled. “Too bad you cocked up the last Storm eh?”

  Kade narrowed his eyes. “Too bad for you since you have to go back and finish the job.”

  Duke’s lips formed an ‘O’ before he scratched his head and muttered a curse against the gods. “I’m going to get some grub while I can then.”

  Kade joined him as he took a seat around the campfire. His eyes still probing the new arrivals as he took his own bowl of stew.

  His eyes locked on the weakest as he settled down, his dark eyes flicking about nervously as he delicately ate the stew. “What’s your name?”

  The boy froze, eyes opening even wider, the slightest of shakes to his fingers. “Hadley.”

  Kade nodded his gaze lingered on him for a moment before examining the rest of the boys. Did I ever look that hopeless?

  His brow knotted as he shoved the food down, speaking between mouthfuls. “Kade Dawson. I’ll be helping you settle in. In the morning the captain will assign you jobs to do here in camp. Then when you’re stronger, we’ll see what you’re capable of.”

  All the boys nodded meekly, too interested in their food, but the scrawniest one’s mouth slackened slightly as he cradled the bowl of stew in his filthy hands. “Training? For what?”

  Kade’s eyebrows rose at the strange cadence to the boy’s voice. His eyes shifted to Duke’s wondering why the boy didn’t seem to know why he was here, but Duke was too involved in slurping his stew and making eyes at Meg.

  With a scowl meant for Duke, Kade turned back to the curious boy staring at him. “Why’d you think you came to our camp?”

  Colour crept over the boy’s filthy face. “I was just looking for food and a bed.”

  His face contorted as he growled in Duke’s direction. “Stormer Duke. You want to explain?”

  Duke merely shrugged. “He missed that part. He was late. Probably got confused.”

  Kade barked a laugh until he caught both the look of horror on the boy’s grubby face and the chastisement on Meg’s.

  He covered his amusement and finished his food before swiping his mouth. “Stormers retrieve things. Usually things people have been stupid enough to steal and hide in Amaria.”

  Hadley’s eyes seem to widen even further as his face paled.

  Kade forced the smirk away. “You’ll get food and a bed. And if you can prove yourself, Cester might keep you around.”

  Duke snorted. “Maybe on washing duty.”

  The other boys snickered, Kade’s mirth slid away as the boy pulled his shoulder’s back and held his eye fearlessly. “If it means I can stay here. I’ll do what it takes to prove myself.”

  He kept his eyes on the boy for a while longer. If Hadley was willing to work for it, Cester would give him a chance despite his size. Only question was, could a puny boy like Hadley last through training?

  Thomas isn’t here. You need to leave before they find you out.

  The words ran in an endless circle in Hadley’s muddled head as the Stormer stared at her.

  A crease was growing in the middle of his tanned forehead. His dark eyes narrowed as he scarfed his food down, barely taking the time to chew, all the while looking at her so intensely she found it difficult to breathe let alone speak.

  A niggle of worry mingled with the stew as she forced it down. He couldn’t possibly see her under the layers of dirt on her face and the boot polish she’d used to disguise her blonde locks. She’d even hastily hacked off her hair, and her clothes were so baggy, any curves not stolen by months of famine would stay hidden.

  Still, she dipped her chin as she ate the stew, her stomach growling noisily, reminding her of why she’d wound up here amongst the mysterious Stormers.

  His gaze drifted from her, and despite the bindings around her chest, she found her breaths coming in again. She kept her eyes averted as he fired questions at the other boys.

  Boys, who hadn’t appreciated her arrival in the market and probably didn’t appreciate an outsider joining them. They certainly hadn’t appreciated her asking if they’d seen her brother or if the Stormers had been recruiting two weeks ago when he’d disappeared.

  If they found out she was a girl, at best they’d turn her over to the captain she’d yet to meet, or at worst they’d tell the intimidating young Stormer, currently wearing more knives than her mother had in her kitchen, and who knew what he was capable of.

  What little she knew about the Stormers and how they operated w
ouldn’t fill a thimble. It was madness to be here. But what choice do I have?

  Flynn’s face, and his threats still fresh in her mind, she swallowed the stew down and concentrated on emulating the other boys as closely as possible.

  She’d managed to fool them so far. From the Stormer who she’d overheard in the market, to the street urchins who were currently shovelling in food much the way the two older Stormers were.

  Her eyes slid to Kade, his eyes on the girl serving the food with the large cook, she took a moment to assess him as he’d appeared to have done to her.

  He was broader than the other Stormer she’d met, taller. His nose crooked but rather than detract from his features, it added another element of intrigue.

  And while the first Stormer was lean, with evidence of famine about him, Kade looked healthy, strong and with his piercing gaze, he was utterly terrifying.

  His forearm knotted, all sinewy muscle as he brought the spoon to his mouth and slurped the remains of his stew. Her eyes glued to the tattoo that crept out from his rolled shirt sleeve.

  Before she could see it clearly, he caught her looking, and a flush tracked over her cheeks. His hazel eyes locked on hers and the slightest hint of amusement flashed over his face. “Finish up lads. Captain wants to see you.”

  Hadley’s stomach tightened as she rose to her feet along with the other boys. Her palms growing clammy, her heart tapping too fast, she followed the other boys, barely looking at Kade as he escorted them towards the large tent at the centre of the camp.

  Her heart leapt into her throat as a muscled man, with a scowl even worse than Kade’s parted the opening then stood, arms folded across his massive chest as he watched them line up.

  He nodded to Kade, who stood alongside her. “Welcome to the Northern Stormers Camp. My name is Captain Cester. Over the next few weeks, you’ll be my guest. Stormer Kade will let you know what roles you’ll be selected for first thing tomorrow.”

  Cester met her eye, and his smile seemed to falter. His eyes flicked to Kade, who only shrugged. “Blame Duke. He must have been feeling generous.”

  She held her breath as she waited for the acceptance or the dismissal that would send her back to the streets she’d been forced to run to.

  Her nerves wound higher as she waited so that when Kade nudged her shoulder, the slightest of squeaks escaped. His scowl grew as he looked sidelong at her. “I hope for your sake you can at least climb.”

  A surge of confidence filled her as Cester met her eye. The words tumbling from her mouth before he even asked. “I can climb higher than anyone in the lower district.”

  Kade snorted a laugh. “His name is Hadley.”

  The captain’s square jaw tightened. “Well, Hadley from the lower district. Tomorrow we’ll find out whether Duke was right to bring you here.”

  As he stepped away and motioned to Kade to join him, the fierce expression of her new employer let her know he’d expect much in return for the food and bed he was offering.

  But at least she was safe disguised as a boy. For now anyway.

  The morning came too soon for Kade, his muscles stiff, his newly stitched shoulder and face, already itching. He groaned as he pulled himself to sitting, looking across to where Carl lay snoring, flat on his back as he always was. Kade reached for his still damp shirt and threw it at his cousin.

  Carl snorted and sat up with his dagger at the ready and a wild look on his face. Kade pulled a face at him and raised his hands. “Take it easy, cuz; you’re on washing duty this morning.”

  Carl sneered at him, before sending the shirt flying back at him. “Na, I told that little squirt Henry last night he could do it on his own. I’m going to see Rose, might even leave before breakfast.”

  Kade blew out a puff of air as he pulled himself to his feet, grimacing at the pain. “Hadley, you cretin, his name is Hadley, and he doesn’t look strong enough to haul the clothes to the river.”

  Carl shrugged as he yawned and laid his dagger on the tent floor. “He’ll manage. Rose can’t wait, I need to tell her we’ll be gone for the winter.”

  Kade frowned. “Let’s hope she finds someone better in the meantime eh?”

  Carl scowled, before hurling a tunic at him, a sour expression on his sleep-creased face. Kade sidestepped out of the way, stooping to find the rest of their filthy clothing to add to the wash pile.

  Wearing his undershorts more for the presence of the cook and his sister, than any sense of modesty, he strolled towards the new recruit’s tent, his arms filled with soiled clothing.

  He scanned the area and was pleased to find most were up and about, even on a morning where the coming winter was becoming more apparent. They’d be moving on soon, finding shelter in the valley where the hot springs and Cester’s family were located.

  Kade tested his shoulder and flinched at the pain still tearing through it. The healer had given him two weeks till full recovery, but he needed to be able to train, and he needed to be strong enough to pull his body weight, should he need to climb. Good thing we’re on break soon.

  With the thought cheering him slightly, Kade poked his head through the tent opening and squinted at the still sleeping figures inside.

  He grimaced as his nose found Hadley, who somewhere between dinner last night and showing the newbies to their tent, Kade had decided looked and smelled like he’d been living in a cesspit for a few months. He nudged Hadley’s dozing form before dumping the load from his hands onto the boy.

  Hadley squawked and jumped to his feet, eyes wild as he stared firstly at the pile of washing, then at Kade.

  “Come on; Cester put you on washing duty till you toughen up. I’ll help you, Carl’s too lazy to do it properly anyway, grab the rest.”

  Hadley cleared his throat and rubbed at his eyes. Before nodding and bending to pick up the clothing. The other boys coming to wakefulness, Kade told them to wash and get ready for breakfast.

  As Hadley followed him out of the tent, the smell of bacon frying caused his mouth to water. He nudged Hadley’s bony shoulder. “At least you won’t go hungry today.”

  Hadley swallowed, and for a moment, Kade thought he saw the scrawny boy’s eyes water. He shook it off, not wanting to tempt fate or encourage tears.

  If the boy had lost family, like most of them, he’d have to learn to hide it better. He’d need to lock his hurts away, where they didn’t bother him.

  That was the only way to survive, the only way to sleep at night, unburdened by the memories of what they’d all lost. Probably best to distract the sod. “You ever been in a fight?”

  Hadley shook his head and kept his eyes straight ahead as he gripped the clothing tighter to his bony chest. To the left, downstream, the rest of the boys stripped down and waded into the water.

  Kade scratched at his chin as they started splashing water at each other. “Well don’t worry about it too much eh? The whole point is not to get caught. Fighting is only for when you can’t run, and newbies don’t do much for a while anyway. You’re mainly here to learn how to scout.”

  At the lack of response and the slight paling of Hadley’s thin face, Kade frowned. “You know you can wash in the river with the others, and Cester has clothes that will fit. No offence but you reek.”

  Hadley shook his head quickly. “Later.”

  Kade raised an eyebrow at the clipped response. He examined Hadley further, trying to pull him to pieces, figure him out as they dropped to their knees and submerged the clothes in the murky water.

  He grabbed the closest item and tried in vain to scrub blood from the now grey shirt. Hadley’s eyes on him, the boy gave the slightest of smiles as he took the shirt. “I think it’s too late to be saved.”

  Huh? He narrowed his eyes as Hadley picked up some river stones and started rubbing them over the shirt.

  As the boys neared them, whooping and splashing in the river, Hadley’s eyes darted about, a flicker of colour under the dirt.

  Kade watched the other newbies, wonderi
ng if he should think of something to set the boy at ease. Maybe he had scars or some terrible disfigurement he didn’t want seen? Maybe that was why he’d not washed yet.

  Kade nodded to himself, sure that was the issue. Whatever it was, he’d have to figure it out since he was on babysitting duty. He changed the subject swiftly. “You said you can climb?”

  Hadley nodded, his eyes on his task as he scrubbed. At the lack of interest from the boy, Kade gave up trying to dislodge any more conversation he didn’t want to have anyway. No sense getting to know someone when they’d take off soon as they realised how hard Stormers worked.

  When they’d scrubbed the tunics and trousers they wore when not in their leathers, Kade showed Hadley where the washing needed to be hung on stakes pegged in the ground near the fire.

  As Hadley began to wring the clothes, he glanced sidelong at the runty boy. “I better go have a wash. Get as much water as you can out of them, hang them then go eat breakfast.”

  Hadley nodded and kept his eyes on the clothing as Kade turned back to the river, wading in with the others, still in nothing but his shorts as he washed the last three days filth away.

  Refreshed and starving, he plonked down beside Meg and Cester. Noting, with a bolt of alarm, that Meg was giving the older man a far too eager smile.

  Cester frowned at him as he chewed on a strip of bacon and gestured to his sodden undershorts. “You seem to be missing your clothes; everyone else manages to dress when we eat.”

  Kade shrugged and accepted the plate Martha offered, noticing she’d laden his plate with an extra piece of bacon. “Everything else is wet or covered in blood. This is the best I could come up with.”

  Cester shook his head while the other newbies looked horrified, and the rotund cook suppressed a frown.

  Kade covered a smirk and narrowed his eyes at the helping of food Martha was piling on Hadley’s plate. “I thought I was your favourite?”

  Martha gestured to Hadley. “The other boys had two helpings. This one eats like a mouse. He needs to put on weight before winter sets in.”

  Cester raised his head from his plate and eyed Hadley. “That’s true; I want you all to eat double helpings of everything for the next month. Especially you Hadley.”