Page 18 of The Tempest
“Nay, I do not think he was pleased,” Sinclair answered him, his focus returning to Payne in the distance. “But he is clearly happy to see the other man.”
Cruz suddenly ducked away, heading off toward the north and losing himself in the bramble. Given that several men had broken off from the army in the distance and disappeared into a collection of trees connected to the ones the Blackchurch trainers found themselves in, it was prudent not to be caught off guard should those men come any closer. Cruz was going to ensure that didn’t happen. The rest of the group continued to watch, finding great interest when the man who had tried to strike Payne returned with a bundle over his shoulder.
“Look,” Creston said. “He’s brought something—”
“A body,” Sinclair said, interrupting. “A woman?”
They could all see the long, matted blonde hair and the fact that the woman was trussed up with ropes. Payne was working to release them, clearly in discussion with the red-haired woman at the same time. Perhaps even scolding her, from his body language. But they all saw quite clearly when the newly freed captive threw a fist into Payne’s face.
A collective gasp went up from the group.
Payne’s head snapped back but he didn’t fall. Not even close. He didn’t even put a hand to his face where she’d struck him. As the red-haired woman laughed uproariously, Payne grabbed the captive by the arm and dragged her over to one of the wagons.Propping his buttocks on the back edge of the wagon, he threw the captive over his lap, then forced her head and shoulders down with one big arm while his free hand spanked her within an inch of her life.
It was all the Blackchurch men could do not to burst out in loud laughter.
The pirates, in fact, did laugh loudly. Theyhowledwith laughter. Everyone seemed to be having a grand time out of Payne spanking their captive, but he kept going until the flame-haired woman told him to stop. She actually grabbed his hand. He stopped, but he also stood up and let the captive fall to the ground, where she promptly jumped to her feet and attacked him with her fists. All Payne did was push her away so that she fell on the ground. But she got up and did it again. And again. Finally, Payne took the rope he’d cut off her, and the next time she charged him, he wrapped her up in it and tossed her into the back of one of the wagons.
At that point, the woman with the red hair was motioning her group to move forward, so the Blackchurch trainers scattered, returning to their horses and heading back to Blackchurch at top speed. Truthfully, everything they’d witnessed had been… strange. Strange and volatile. And that was the report that went to St. Denis about an hour before the group led by the red-haired woman, and Payne, reached the village of Exebridge, a mile from Blackchurch.
Bloody Maude and Medusa’s Disciples had finally arrived.
And Blackchurch was ready.
CHAPTER SIX
“Now,” Payne saidslowly and deliberately, “tell me about this lass. I want tae know everything.”
They were in the private alcove at the Black Cock, the one used by the Blackchurch trainers when they were relaxing after a hard day’s work. But this time, the room contained Maude, Declan, Francis, and a few of Maude’s trusted men, old sea dogs with names like Fish, Monk, Joyosa, and Turpis. Those were not their real names, of course, but as Maude had once explained to Astria, men at sea tended to go by nicknames for ease of identification and also, perhaps, for the protection of their families. They had all served with Maude’s father, so they were old and seasoned and had the look of death about them. Especially Turpis—his name meantfoulin Latin, and the man was, indeed, foul. Missing teeth and a penchant for skinning the flesh off his living victims were part of his aura.
Dark.
The owner of the Black Cock, a man named Hobbes, was keeping his serving wenches away from the alcove for that very reason. He was serving the pirates himself, along with his wife, who could probably best any one of those men at the table. Hobbes and Margit were quite a pair, but they were friends ofthe Blackchurch trainers and always treated them well. In turn, the Blackchurch trainers protected the tavern. Given that it was their favorite place in the village—even if it were theonlyplace—they weren’t about to leave Hobbes and Margit without any defenders.
In fact, it was Hobbes and Margit whom Payne had consulted with when Medusa’s Disciples arrived in the village. Given their vocation, they were used to simply taking whatever they wished for food and comfort, but Payne told Maude he would make sure that her men had food and a place to set up an encampment provided they did not raid the village. Even though the pirates had plundered every village and town they’d passed through the moment they came ashore, Maude knew this was one such village that was off-limits. The Blackchurch Guild was about a mile away and had far more men than Maude did, so she was forced to agree to Payne’s terms or face the consequences.
Difficult as it was for someone unused to compromise.
Therefore, under Hobbes’ guidance, the pirates were able to set up an encampment behind the Black Cock, under some trees and next to a stream. Hobbes also agreed to help feed them in exchange for their taking a hands-off approach to any patrons coming in or out of the establishment. The past hour had seen Maude and Declan and Francis settling the men down for the night, but Maude and her sons required sleeping rooms in the tavern, which they were given. Payne kept vigilant of everything going on, mediating when he had to, knowing that St. Denis didn’t want Maude here, but she’d come with a purpose.
It was a complicated situation.
Now, the sun had gone down and they were sitting in the alcove with Maude’s men stuffing themselves on boiled mutton. Declan and Francis were also eating as if they’d never seen food before. Only Payne and Maude weren’t eating, but they were most definitely drinking. It was decent ale that Margit madeherself, but she used fermented apples in it that could get a man drunk quite quickly. Therefore, Payne was pacing himself.
But he had questions.
“What more can I tell ye about the lass?” Maude said. “I told ye everything already. My lads and I have been branching out in other waters. The Three Magi were east of Valencia when we came across the princess and her ships. We captured everything. Now, I have two more Tarragona ships. Nice ones, too.”
The Three Magi was what Maude called her three largest ships. They were named theMother Mary, theCaspar, and theBalthazar, which absolutely inflamed the Catholic Church, but they’d been called that for decades and Maude saw no reason to change anything. In fact, she took fiendish delight in the furious responses from the bishops in Scotland and Ireland every time the ships flying Medusa’s Disciples banners made port. Payne didn’t care about the names of the ships, or the fury of the church, but he was concerned for the woman they’d dumped in the cold house outside.
That was his focus.
“What was she doing on those ships?” he asked. “Who do they belong tae?”
Maude shrugged. “They are her husband’s ships,” she said. “Orwerehis ships.”
Payne looked at her in surprise. “She’smarried?” he said. “And ye brought her tae me as a bride?”
“She’s widowed.”
