Newblood - A fantasy novel for NaNoWriMo 2018; CHAPTER- 27: Grendale Council

Spring, Year 22 of Koram

Aasia did not join the others for the evening meal. All through the day she had ventured out of her room only twice, once to freshen up and change clothes and once to refill her water jug. She did not speak much. For the first time in her life she could not take help from Pinnet or Master Glodam, both of them would argue that she was the lawful ruler of the Kingdom. Whatever their point of view, they had not been with Mahon when the deaths intoxicated him, made him loose control. She had noticed that Pinnet had been reluctant to answer questions about his rescue. According to the second hand reports it was carnage. Now if ever she should loose control, who would stop her, who would replace her twin?

It was late in the night when Aasia wandered in to the kitchen in search of leftovers. Shan was sitting there in front of a hot pot of broth and plate laden with flat bread. "I don't mind sharing. It smells delicious." Aasia picked up a bowl and a wooden spoon and joined him at the table. They were sitting side by side. Aasia wanted to to sit across from from him, but she would have to go past him and around the table. That would look odd. She did shift her seat a little away from Shan. The broth was good and the flat bread was just right, crisp at the edges and soft and warm in the middle.

After the first few morsels she noticed that Shan was not eating. since her mouth was full, she pointed to his bowl with her spoon. "To tell the truth I am not hungry. I have been reheating this broth every half an hour. Thank the Lord you came when I had warmed it a fifth time." Aasia froze mid-swallow hearing this. A messy coughing fit followed which made both of them awkward. After cleaning up Shan sat down and took some broth. "Might as well." Aasia also sat down and resumed her meal. After a minute she asked. "Why were you waiting for me?"

"To speak to you. But now this has become awkward."

"What did you want to speak about?"

"You and me. I know you don't know me or think of me like.. But I do and I want you to know it and not feel embarrassed. Like now."

Aasia had felt her cheeks and ears heat up. Shan continued. "I don't mind that you don't want to.. indulge yourself now. Or if you don't want me to flirt with you ever. But not to let you know- that would be criminal. Even though I captained a pirate ship."

Aasia did not respond, she had stopped eating and was looking down at her hands. Shan sighed. "OK I destroyed whatever easy going thing we had. You however need not fret anymore I am retiring from flirting with princesses."

"No." Aasia mumbled. Shan sat up straight. "You said.."

Aasia looked at him. "It is not you. I don't know how to,.. how to live up to the responsibility of.. all this." Aasia waved her arms. Shan smiled at her. "Hey! You be yourself. They want you to be Aasia Grendale. Nothing more and nothing less. That you feel responsible is good, every leader should feel the weight of his actions."

"I don't know half of what they know and their planning and thinking is much better than mine."

Shan interrupted her. "So trust their judgement. They choose YOU. Ask for help, rely on their opinions everybody has help. What do you think? Because I am captain aboard my ship I don't need help or advice. How good I would be if I shun my best navigators opinion or the help of my seamen? I think you are being a little selfish."

Aasia frowned at him. "Explain." "When people who follow you worry for you- that is love and trust. You can't have it without having to try to live up to their expectations. Nobody wants to see you die trying, mind you. Just trying."

"And my decisions? What if they don't see my point?"

"Do you see my point? Hum No! But I am talking to you. But then you are so feminine and they are slobs."

Aasia muffled her laughter. One hand to her mouth the other holding her side, rocking back and forth. Finally she said "You are a wicked man." Shan was already putting away his bowl. He came near her took her right hand in both of his and kissed it, then he turned it and in a gesture which for Aasia was surprisingly intimate, he kissed her bare forearm. Then he left the room whistling tunelessly.

In the morning when Aasia came to the kitchen, everybody was already at the table eating and sipping hot, sweet, dark cocoa. She helped herself to a cup and joined them. The conversation was little and fragmented. Aasia finished her cocoa, banged down her cup and stood up. "OK I was sulking. Not Good I know. But I need to say something. When I asked for Renee to do recruiting it because she was excellent in Harden, she can speak well, manage people and money. Master Glodam was necessary if we are to teach the recruits to behave like soldiers. Also he can depute Aghauri warriors as trainers. Additionally Chamik is near the Aghuirs. Master Glodam can mobilise and attend to gathering of Aghauri also. Chamik is as far as we can go and still be connected. So Chamik as an experimental base makes sense.

Why Shan and me should go to Shamarank? Because he can smuggle me into the city and smuggling one person is much less risky than managing two. Why me? Because the central bridge is stone and I can handle stone better than any. Lastly why the rest of you should go to the Great Lake? Because elven folk can move around there more easily. You can scout and make assessments with freedom."

There was silence in the room for a minute then Jinden cleared his throat. "You missed me."

The Grendale council- That is what Jinden had named them aptly- had been working on the three proposals Aasia had put forward. Pinnet wrote up a pamphlet asking people to join the Grendale Army. Renee had left the very next day to get pamphlets made for distribution. Master Glodam had worked out a rough estimate for the money required for arming and maintaining an army of ten thousand for eight months. He and Pinnet went over the estimates afew times and the minimum amount required was nine thousand gold. Aasia was shocked. " That is a lot of money." Glodam replied "Armies are expensive business. But these estimates are on the higher side and we have not counted contributions and loot." Pinnet turned to Jinden who had become the record keeper. Jinden searched his pouch for the right paper, then finding it he said " On hand, including the loot from Harden Keep, we have thirty three thousand silver and ten thousand four hundred gold. Plus we have some jewelry, swords and precious stones- from Ashvale and Harden. Arough estimate of the total would be about twenty four thousand gold." Shan, Aasia and even Master Glodam was stunned at hearing such an enormous figure. Pinnet and Jinden laughed out. "Why do you think Harden was so well defended?"

Master Glodam would take Jinden with him till Pikers Lake, he would go on ahead with his Aghauri warrior entourage while Jinden stayed there. He would be the go- between Renee and Master Glodam. He would also distribute pamphlets when the chance arose. Master Myanse and Deniel Ironborn chalked out a route to Brem through the mountains but this had to be changed. Shan suggested that if they could escort Aasia to Blackpool village on the Shamar. Smuggling her down river and then getting out safe would be much easier. Also he had shallow bottomed sailboats and sailors who could carry them up river to the Great Lake- a less tiring and faster journey. They were paying the sailors anyway so they might as well use them.

The new plan was that Aasia, Myanse and Deniel would take the farm roads till the hills around Shamarank. From there they would have to cross the forested hills and head north to reach the coal mines. After spreading the word for Grendale Army they would head for the fishing village of Blackpool, on the Shamar- about six leagues up river from Shamarank. This trek would take them twenty to twenty five days. Captain Shan would use this time to choose his sailors and get his boats to Blackpool.