The Wyld: Part XIX

"27...28.29.…" Hubert paused, then grinned at the three boys before he added a final penny to the pile, "aaaaaand…30!"

Liam frowned. "We only brought you 29 bottles."

"So you did, but this is a bonus for work well done. Besides, it will give each of you 10 pennies apiece! Share and share alike, eh, boys?" Hubert separated the coins, then handed Kevern and Jeremy their shares as Liam scooped up his own pennies. "It's in consideration of future work as well."
 
Jeremy coughed and glanced at Liam. "Tell him!"

"Tell me what, lads? Is there a problem?" Hubert forced himself to keep the outwardly calm demeanor he used when dealing with the trio. "Come now, I like to think we're able to be honest with each other. Have I done something to offend one of you?"

  The three boys shook their heads. "Not that. You've dealt with us fair and square." Liam said as the others now nodded in agreement. "It's just that…"

"Oh no! It's not something wrong with your parents, I hope?"  

"No, our parents are all well, thank you."

"Then what is it? I don't understand."

"It's getting dangerous, the Guardian could catch us!" That was from the boy Jeremy, the Worrier of the group. "We could all lose our jobs in the kitchen."

"Really? I hadn't realized….I hadn't thought you boys would get in any trouble, really, I didn't." Hubert sank down onto his chair, the very picture of a distraught adult. "Well, there's nothing for it, then. We'll have to stop. Too bad, though, because I had grand news for you all." He set a large gold coin down on the tabletop and waited. 

It was Kevern the Thinker who asked first. "What sort of coin is that, Master Hubert?" 

"It's a gold coin, lads, all the way from Byzantium and worth so much more than all the pennies you've earned working for me so far." He set two more coins beside the first. "One for each of you."

The boys stared down at the money for several moments, long enough that Hubert began to think he'd gone too far and lost them. It would mean starting over again, finding and cultivating children who had some sort of access to the castle. He reached out to gather the three coins back up into his hand.

"What could be worth that much money?" Liam's eyes narrowed as he looked from the coins back to Hubert's face. "That's enough to help my Da start his tavern."

"Oh nothing illegal, I assure you, Liam." Hubert left the coins on the tabletop. "It's more of the same sort of work, actually. I have a client, a man who wants to buy whatever you can find with this insignia on it." He unfolded a piece of parchment to display a drawing of a two headed eagle. "Have you seen anything like this in all your time in the ruined wing?" 

"Aye. That's Sir Gawaine's device, isn't it?" Kevern frowned. "But we already brought you all the bottles we could find, Master Hubert."  

"So you did, but only from the first floor. What about the other floors?" 

Jeremy turned almost as white as the ghosts he feared. "O-other floors?" 

"Come now, lads. You've scurried about the ruins for weeks now and are none the worse for wear of it. There's nothing to fear! It's Camelot, for pity's sake, what could possibly hurt you there?" Hubert watched the boys' faces. "My client will pay you well for anything you find with the double eagle insignia. Small items, of course, since you need to be able to carry them easily: bottles, plates, books, anything."

 Youthful pride and the sight of gold shining in the candlelight won them over. Liam nodded. "Alright, one last hunt. After that, we're not taking anymore risks with getting caught by the guards."

 Hubert chuckled. "Don't worry so. If the guards can't find one humble bottle seller in broad daylight, what makes you believe they could find three bright lads like yourselves in the dead of night? Now if the map you've drawn is correct the entrance to the second floor is down here, by the stairway to the second tower."

 Shortly after making plans the boys left for the castle and Hubert sat back in his chair with a satisfied smile. Children made the perfect agents for him: always so trusting.

 If all went well his three young friends were about to make him a very powerful man.
                                ***************
 
It was several days before the boys had the chance to sneak away into the old wing of Camelot Castle.

"Remember, we move fast and we take only small things." Liam handed the other two boys a burlap sack apiece and led them quickly down the corridor past the old throne room and towards the door at the far end. Each of them held a candle and when they'd reached the stairs to the second floor Liam used a flint and steel to light them. "Alright, stick together and look for the double eagle sign."

Kevern and Jeremy nodded and they moved off up the stairs. But when they reached the second level they found themselves in another long hallway that led off to either side, and a flight of stairs stretched on upwards in front of them. A plaque with the double eagle insignia was on the wall with two arrows: a red arrow pointing up the stairs and a green arrow pointing down the hallway to the left.

Jeremy looked around nervously. "Now what? Which way do we go, Liam?"

"We should split up." Kevern looked up the stairwell. "This Gawaine must have been important to have two rooms!"

"He was a Prince, I think." Liam scowled. "It doesn't matter. We stay together and look down this way." He started down the corridor, holding his candle up and following the wall plaques that had been meant to help guide servants in their duties. They hadn't gone far when they arrived at a door with Gawaine's insignia. Liam turned to the others and then he cursed. 

"Where's Kevern?"  

Jeremy shook his head. "I don't know. He was right behind me," 

"I know where he is. Go back to the stairway and tell him to get back down here with us." 

Jeremy gulped and then hurried back down the way they'd just come as Liam leaned back against the wall and folded his arms as he waited. He groaned as Jeremy's voice echoed loudly in the dark. "I didn't tell him to yell, damn it.", he muttered as he started after his friends. "He'll have the guards up here after us." 

When Liam reached the landing, there was no sign of his friends. He raised his candle and looked up the stairs. "Kevern! Jeremy! Get down here, now!"

There was no answer, just a sudden gust of cold wind that nearly blew out his candle's flame. There was nothing for it; he'd after go up there after the two of them. There was no other choice Liam could have made. They'd known each other their whole lives and this was just another instance in which Liam had needed to keep them out of some bit of trouble.

He shielded his candle with the palm of his hand and started up the stairs. A second small gust of wind smelled like the ocean and for a second Liam thought he heard a seagull's cry. "Jeremy! Kevern! Answer me, by the gods!"

He reached the top of the stairs and stepped out onto another landing. There was that bird cry again and a third gust of wind finally extinguished the candle. He'd have to fumble around for his flint and steel again. 

He thought he heard Kevern's voice calling him but very faintly. "Hold on, Kevern, I'm coming!" 

Liam stepped forward into the dark.