Owin #28 — Time to leave

Owin looked toward the farmhouse as he followed Denton onto the road. The smell of cooking sausage escaped an open window. However, neither Inga nor her brother was visible. At least that is one set of disappointed faces I won’t have to see.

“I’m hungry,” Gwen whispered in his ear. “Do you think we’ll get something to eat?”

While Gwen and her mother had never eaten well, he always tried to make sure they had some food. He hoped to be able to keep that up, though he expected she would go without a couple of times over the coming days. “We’ll see. Depending on the ship, we might be able to get something from the crew.”

Denton said little as they hurried down the road in generally a westerly direction. Owin knew that plenty of smaller smugglers avoided Rhyl and opted instead to use coves and sheltered beaches along the western shore. It still remained a dangerous proposition, because not only did the authorities want to put an end to the practice, due to loss of tax revenue, but also the families overseeing criminal activity did not tolerate being cut out of their perceived shares either.

Keeping to the side roads, which in many cases were little more than ruts worn into the ground, they passed a number of farmsteads and villages. Denton refused to allow them to stop at any public houses for food; however, Owin managed to steal a couple of apples from an orchard.

By the time the sun had reached its full height for the day, they had traveled for several miles along the rocky coast. The sea appeared fairly calm with only a slight breeze blowing from the south.

The further they went, the fewer people and houses they encountered, making their presence more conspicuous.  With limited trees near the coast to offer concealment, they moved from the road and stayed to the ravines and low areas. Twice they laid down in the tall grasses to avoid the notice of soldiers on patrol.

By the early afternoon, they finally crept down into a small cove the sea had worn into the rocky landscape. “We wait here,” Denton said. “This is not their typical cove, but their boat is shallow enough.”

“Who are these people?” Owin asked. “Are they just transporting us, or are they part of your cause? I’d like to know if we have to keep from getting our throats cut or not.” Owin noticed Gwen tense at that comment, but did not acknowledge it. Denton would have likely felt her fear.

“It will be a mix. Captain Arn is a friend of mine and supports my cause. He’s got a mate he trusts, but he’s also a pirate and the other four men are likely people he hired for a share to work the sails and move goods. I don’t know who they are.”

Owin bit his lip to keep from cursing but then spoke his mind anyway. “Pirates would prefer a war. They’d be able to make even more money.”

“Keep your skirt on, Owin. Arn’s a fairly big guy and he’ll frighten most people into keeping in line. He’s not an idealist, but he hates the Duke even more than you, so he’ll do anything he can to ruin the Duke’s plans. Which in my book is even better than being an idealist, because hate and greed are things you can negotiate with. Ideals just make you stubborn.”

Owin had heard that before. He and Gavin had lived by that philosophy for a while. However, when Gavin fell in love with Elsin, he suddenly found some ideals worth having. “You’re paying them for the trip, right? They won’t expect us to turn over any money when we get there?”

Denton shrugged. “They’ve been paid already, but…”

“Speaking of money, you have the ten crowns on you?”

Denton laughed. “Don’t be stupid.” The holy warrior pulled a small pouch out from his shirt and handed it to Owin. “There’s a bit over two crowns there. I’ll call it two to be nice to you. I’ll have to owe you the rest.”

Owin shook his head. “If you expect me to get to where I will need to be to protect the people you are talking about, it will cost me more than this to set that up. I said ten crowns up front because it will take most of that for prep work.”

Denton nodded his head, though Owin was not sure if Denton believed him. “I’ll send a letter with Arn to have the rest paid to you once you are there. I have friends in Solva who will take care of it.” Owin frowned but he knew there was nothing he could do about it.

Looking out to the sea, movement caught his attention and that caused Denton to turn his head as well. A small boat had moved around the edge of the cove and it bounced softly over the waves as it angled toward them. Owin understood just how little privacy the ship offered. Not quite flat-bottomed, the shallow draft made the craft excellent for landing on beaches such as this one or even for moving up rivers. A square sail powered the craft forward, but Owin also noticed positions for oars on the open deck. There would be no cover from sun, wind, or rain; no privacy for Gwen at all.

He heard Gwen swallow as she watched the craft come closer. Denton even gave him the ‘I told you so’ look. However, Owin had no intention of handing Gwen over to the holy warrior. Even on that boat, she would be safer than in Denton’s hands.

Denton moved out of their concealment and walked down to the sandy shore as the boat’s sail came down. The twenty-foot long craft slid easily into the sandy beach and a broad-shouldered man leaped from the prow.

“Denton,” the man said as he clasped the smaller man’s arm and drew him in for a hug.

“Arn, it is good to see you.”

The bearded man glanced up the beach and Owin nodded his head in return. In a fair fight, Owin doubted he could match the man. His movements were smooth and agile; his arms and chest muscular. It’s a good thing I don’ fight fair unless I have to.

“That your passenger?”

“They both are,” Denton said, half turning toward Owin and Ryia. “Owin is the man I told you about. The other is Owin’s ward, the daughter of his late friend Gavin.”

“Daughter?” Arn cocked his head to the side and chuckled. “It looks like a boy.”

Owin decided to hold his tongue until he got a better read on the large captain. He had a feeling that trying to exert a sense of dominance would not go over well.

“Well, we sleep on the deck and do everything else there as well. That won’t bother your sensibilities I hope.”

Gwen shook her head no, but stayed just behind Owin.

“We can handle a trip. But I will not permit harm to come to her.”

Arn raised a crooked smile. “Have no fear; my men will take no liberties. Denton has spoken highly of you and you have my word you will be delivered safely. At least as safely as I can. On our way in, we saw a war ship patrolling in the distance. I don’t think they saw us, but I would like to be underway as soon as you climb aboard.”

Owin nodded his head. “We are ready as soon as Denton writes a letter for you.”

Denton grinned and nodded his head.

Arn stepped back and extended his hand in the direction of the boat.

Continue to next episode.