Owin #27 — Time to go

The next morning the calling of a roster woke Owin from his slumber. In the middle of the night, Gwen had rolled against him and she had her head on his arm.  Now his arm had fallen asleep. Sliding out from under her, he managed to get to his feet without waking her.

Not wanting to be dishonest to Vance and Inga, Owin actually hoped he would be able to put in a full day of work before Denton returned. But that’s probably not likely. He knew the holy warrior would not give up easily and while it seemed Denton had put a strong-arm on him, Denton had the capacity to do even worse if needed.  So best to take this offer before it gets worse.

Carefully avoiding the farm equipment, Owin went out the side door and heading around the back of the barn. He relieved himself and then went to the well to wash his face and get something to drink. On the way back to the barn, against the dark morning sky, Owin noticed smoke rising from the chimney of the farm-house and suspected Inga was already preparing breakfast. “Something hot and tasty I hope.”

Moving through a flock of chickens that hoped he had their food, Owin carefully slipped back into the barn and made his way to where Gwen still slept. They could both use a bit more sleep, but a farmer’s day starts early and runs late.

“She’s actually rather pretty I imagine. At least when not covered in dirt and having her hair butchered.”

Owin stopped. Denton’s voice came from his left. Now that he had spoken, he could see the holy warrior’s shape next to a pole.

“You walked right past me on your way out. Either I’m getting better or you’re getting sloppy.”

Owin bit his lip to avid saying something he would regret. His experience with priests and holy warriors let him know they often saw very clearly in dim light. Another bloody advantage they have over everyone else. “You don’t have to be an ass. And leave Gwen alone.”

“I’m here to find out what your answer is.”

Owin shook his head. He wished he could say no. “We’ll do it, but just this one thing and we want to be paid well.”

Owin could hear the smile in Denton’s voice. “Excellent. I know I could count on you.” When the holy warrior moved, Owin easily followed his path through the barn. “You want to wake the girl before you leave?”

“She’s coming with me. I can’t trust anyone to keep her safe here.”

Denton stopped and turned back toward him. “That might be a problem on the small ship I’m putting you on. It’s got a handful of men and not a lot of privacy.”

“I’m not leaving her. You either find another ship or explain it to them.” Owin stepped closer to the man, hoping he could exert some sense of his own power. “I want ten gold crowns up front. I’ll need that to pay for supplies and figure things out. Then I want another ten when this is done.”

Owin could almost see Denton’s eyebrows rise. “You want twenty crows for this?”

“Full crows, not silver. You’re wanting me to make some serious enemies. I need to be able to get Elsin and Gwen away once this is done.” Owin crossed his arms. “And another thing. I need Elsin safely transported to a city of my choosing afterward as well. I doubt I’ll be able to come back here safely to get her.”

Denton shook his head. “You are asking a lot. Even for your work. The Duke never paid you that much.”

“Forget what I’ve been paid before. That is my fee for doing this.”

Denton sighed. “Fine. But we leave now. We have to move to the a protected harbor a few miles away and get you on the boat as soon as it arrives.”

Owin nodded his head. He doubted he would see the second half of the payment, but the first half would hopefully cover a start of a new life, even with expenses.

Continue to next episode.