Chapter VII - Black Powder

They say Stoneridge began as an old Roman outpost during the construction of Hadrian's Wall. That could be false. Rumors and tall tales tend to grow in Stoneridge. I grew up listening to an old widow tell stories about the village's history. They were romanticized. The other kids got tired of the old woman's ramblings, but my sister and I enjoyed them. The old widow did not have grandchildren, so she shared her stories with us.

My favorite was one from Stoneridge's founding. The Romans, and all their civilized pretentiousness, fought the barbarians to the North. The barbarians captured and killed the Roman governor, so the people raised their swords and fought harder to avenge the dead leader's blood.

It was a simple story, but it lead me down a wondrous path. A path of fantasy. I lost myself in my thoughts, creating mental sagas of legendary heroes and battles. I started to write them down, put my soul and essence into the characters. I found joy in this. I wondered if I would ever tell them to my grandchildren, and if I never had any, if I would tell them to the other orphans in Stoneridge.

Looking back on this time, I realize my writings were silly. But something was there. Maybe it was my love for the dramatic, for passion. Such a strange desire for a taciturn person like me. It was also silly for me to fall in love with the Princess in such a short time. But I am a fantasizer – A dreamer. When my love falls, it falls hard. Right now, I wish my mind was blank.

I did not sleep. No nightmares or torments, only the inability to relax and surrender to my slumber. When the redness crawled over the ridge and through my window, I got out of bed and put my clothes and coat on. The cursed note still lay on the floor. I picked it up and reread it. One month. I put it in my pocket and went downstairs.

Sebastian was cleaning tables with a white rag. Sleeves rolled up, brow soaked in sweat.

"Good morning, Mr. Rutherford. Sleep well?"

"Yeah." I sat down at the table by the fireplace.

"Can I get you anything? Fish? Cheese? "

"Yeah. Bread, cheese and sausage or something. And coffee. Black."

"Sure thing."

Sebastian tossed the rag on a nearby table and disappeared into the back room. I took the note out of my pocket and crumpled it into a ball. I tossed it into the fire and watched it crackle and sizzle. The parchment turned black and crisp. It crumbled into ash, and the condemnation transformed into heat for my hands on a frigid northern morning.

I am not sure how they found me. Perhaps I made a mistake. I am prone to those. Part of me wanted to believe that the threat was false, empty. But I had known these people, my Old Friends, for most of my life. They were powerful people.

I was staring at the empty flames when Sebastian returned with my food. He slid the plate across the table and returned to his work. I ate half of the bread and called him back over.

"Yes sir?"

"Do you ever see the Princess around town?"

"No, but I spend most of my time working here. Why?"

"I need to speak with her."

"You could always try the castle."

"They would never let me in."

"Perhaps you could write a letter."

"No, I need to see her in person."

He slung his rag over his shoulder and sat across from me, arms rested on the table.

"I understand. After she stopped by last night, I can see why so many people are talking about her."

"What?"

"Yeah. The ice harvesters often stop by for a drink after work. They've talked about the Princess a few times. Mr. Bjorgman must have introduced her to them. Those two are pretty close." He smiled.

"Yeah, I know."

"I am deeply sorry that I could not be of more assistance."

"It's fine. I'll try to catch her around town."

"Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"No. Thanks."

He left. I finished half of my breakfast and sat in the empty tavern for a long time. Longer than I should have. I listened to the fire and watched Sebastian hop between tables, washing each one to a pristine sparkle. I finished three cups of coffee and decided I was already dead if I stayed in that tavern for too long. So, I placed my cap on my head and went to work.

I needed money. I was late and the ice harvesters were walking down the street to work. One of them stopped at the sight of me.

"Hey, you the owner of this shop?"

"Yeah."

"Then hurry up an' open. I've been waitin' for near thirty minutes. Can't work with this broken icepick."

I pushed past him, pulled the keys out of my pocket, and unlocked the door. The shop had a stale smell from the night. I opened the windows and flipped the sign in the window so "OPEN" was facing Arendelle.

The ice harvesters came in, and despite my desperation, I sold him a fine icepick at a discounted price. He thanked me and left. Business was slow. I wanted Anna to stumble into my presence, stay and talk a while, but I was alone. Just me and my work.

It was midday when I heard knocking on the roof, dull and hollow. I ran outside. Bentley was barking orders at two men on a ladder.

"No, that's not straight! What am I paying you ruffians for?"

"Hey Bentley."

"Oh, hey kid." He took my hand and shook it. "Glad to see you. You don't mind me putting this sign up, do you?"

"Uh… no."

Rutherford and Bentley's Trading Goods. It was official, christened by our coin and dedication. The laborers were on ladders, pounding the final nails into the sign. The sign was dark wood with golden text and outlining. It was more expensive than my shack.

"I know a guy who knows a guy that sells the finest wood from the northern holds. A little sweet talking and I was able to get this cheap."

"Thanks Bentley. It looks great."

"With this beauty, people will flock to your store. We're going to make a lot of money, my friend. This is going to be good advertising, you know?"

We stood in silence admiring the new façade. The sun hit the letters and reflected into the town with a golden gleam.

"Speaking of advertising, have you talked with the Princess yet?"

"Yeah."

"And?"

"Oh, I didn't talk about that."

"What do you mean?"

"She visited the tavern last night and-"

"You didn't ask her to promote the business?"

I brought my hand to my head and ran it over my hair.

"I mean, she caught me off guard. And she seemed… I don't know. It wasn't the right time, and her sister was gone…"

"Oh, come on kid! You can flirt when you're rich!"

"What? No, I…"

"I thought you said you were here to find your fortune? Look kid, if you want to make it in this town, business always has to be on your mind. We've got to outwork, outthink, and outplay our competitors. Every single little thing matters, from the way your store is presented, to the way you walk, to the way you look, and… Ugh."

"What?"

"Your clothes are awful."

"This is what I brought from Stoneridge." It was a basic suit and tie. Nothing fancy.

"Exactly, kid. You're Arendellian now."

"Of course, but I-"

"The people don't want goods from a dirty westerner - they want the goods of an experienced, worldly traveler whose sailed the seven seas and uncovered the finest goods from Europe, Turkey, Asia, the Americas, and every little pothole in between. And they want them to be from Arendelle. It's all about public image."

"But I'm not-"

"That doesn't matter. You just have to look the part. Believe it or not, most Arendellians have lived here their entire life. You already know more than most."

"I'm sorry Bentley, I just-"

"Look kid, I don't mean to be so harsh. We're partners, and I'm going to help you turn this little shack into a continental enterprise. We'll make a lot of coin, you understand?"

"Yeah."

"Okay, I'll talk to the tailor and we'll get you fitted up. How's the day going? Are you busy?"

"It's pretty slow. It is most days…"

"That's fine. I've got a shipment from Altivillare coming up in a few days. We'll restock the store and get some more buyers through the door. You can talk to the Princess by then, right?"

"Sure."

"That settles it. I'll see you around."

Bentley shook my hand and paid the laborers. He tipped his hat and left me to my business. I went inside and sat behind the counter, staring at an empty room soaked with sun.

I took my meager profits and closed the shop at sundown. Reality crushed my hopes. I was not making enough, and I needed coin out of necessity. The business alone could not save me from my Old Friends.

The Searing Seafish was busy. A normal evening night with song, drink, and debauchery. A fiddler stomped around the room playing folk songs. Men raised their glasses in celebration of rest from work. Sebastian smiled when I walked in.

"Good evening, Mr. Rutherford. There's another letter for you under your door."

"Great..."

"Becoming quite the popular man, eh?"

"Yeah, I guess."

I went upstairs and entered my room. The letter was on the floor, red seal staring up at me. I took off my coat and washed my face and sat at my desk with the letter. I tore open the seal.

Mark,

Why didn't you tell me you were leaving Stoneridge earlier? I just wasted a weekend travelling to see you. Your shop was empty, and I thought you had been killed or captured.

Whatever. I'm glad you're okay. Life in Colvend has been pretty boring lately. Martin left for Boston again. He said his furs were fetching bad prices in Colvend, so he might be talking the business somewhere else.

It's been a long time and I want to see you. Mom and Dad wouldn't want us to grow this far apart. I'll visit Arendelle for a few weeks. The earliest passenger ship leaves from Weselton in a few days, I think.

See you soon,

Katie

P.S. I haven't heard from Gregory...

At least it was not another death threat. It would be pleasant to see Katie again. But she was still dating that ridiculous American... I found it difficult to believe we were twins.

I grabbed my pen and paper to tell Katie to wait, that I would visit her, but stopped. Katie was stubborn. There was no point.

I went downstairs, ate some fish, and watched the sun set from my room. It sparkled on the fjord, the orange glow stretching from the town to the horizon until the last rays fell behind the sea. Then I went to bed.

I went to church on Sunday and spent the afternoon walking outside the city gates. I hiked beneath the trees and up the mountains. Arendelle sat below me, nestled on the fjord. The castle sat in the fjord like a rose petal on the pond. Buildings of green and yellow and pink slid up the hill until the mountains overtook the architecture. The city was small among the ancient land.

The jagged land intensified to the North, East and West. The rocky guardians covered the coastline from view. Far in the North a mountain rose above the lesser monuments, with a broken and craggy summit reaching above the clouds and sky. The North Mountain.

The sea wind cut up the mountainside and cooled the day. Yellow mountain flowers swayed and danced in the wind. I sat in the soft grass. It was a nice spot. I took out my journal, found a blank page, and drew the countryside - All the rocks, hills, and waters. My drawings were poor, never doing justice to the sublime countryside, but I could not write well at the time and it was a good distraction.

On Monday I closed the shop early for General Alvarsson's promotion. Most of the town attended. They wanted to see their new protector, the brave soul whose sword would stand between Arendelle and her enemies, but I wanted to speak with the Princess. I did for a moment, but the occasion swept us apart.

The General seemed like a decent man. The town spoke of his bravery in an outlying village. I knew nothing about him.

The next morning I ate alone in the Searing Seafish and opened the shop. Bentley was right – there was a slight increase in traffic with our new sign. Citizens walked in no longer expecting a rickety old shop, but a professional vendor. We needed the goods to back it up. Bentley said the shipment from Altivillare would arrive soon.

I was working in the shop after lunch. A man entered looking for a trinket for his wife.

"What do ya mean? This is all you have?"

"Uh… Yeah."

My collection of jewelry and gadgets from Stoneridge was meager. The blacksmith was an old friend who made them cheap.

"Sir, we're going to have another shipment, in this week. Perhaps you could-"

"If I don't bring somethin' home to Vanja, I'm as good as dead! She'll leave me."

"I am… I'm deeply sorry, sir. Is there something else-"

A knock on the window. My head spun. Bentley was peering through the glass. I waved him inside. The door burst open.

"Mark." He was out of breath and dripping sweat. "We've got a problem!"

"What?"

"It's our shipment. It just docked, but that buffoon harbormaster is throwing a fit because it's not on the manifest."

"There's a manifest?"

"Yeah. We've gotta get down there fast, or they're going to turn that ship around. Do you have any idea how much money that would cost me?"

I turned to the man standing dumbfounded in my shop. "Uh, take the trinket for free." I flipped the sign to show "CLOSED" in the window and raced out the door.

We ran down the hill and into town. Parents and kids and workers all stopped to stare at us. Bentley had a lopsided run and held his hat firm on his head. He was large and pudgy but could run when his money was in danger.

The docks were chaotic. The harbormaster was standing at the pier next to our merchant ship, La Grandière. He held the manifest in hand and approached Bentley.

"You have goods on this ship?"

"Yes, and I-"

"The ship isn't on the manifest…"

"I heard, but-"

"…therefore we can't allow it to dock in Arendelle. Not with the numerous security concerns the nation faces."

"Look, this is my business partner. In the cargo hold, there should be some goods in his name. Can you check it for me?"

The harbormaster nodded. I stepped forward.

"Rutherford. Mark."

The harbormaster flipped through the manifest.

"I'm sorry Mr. Rutherford. Nothing."

"Wait," Bentley said, "Check my name. Cornelius Bentley."

"Again. Nothing."

"This is ridiculous! Do you know how much money I lose if this ship turns around?"

"I am very sorry, sir. If you like, you can file a complaint with the Arendelle Council of Trade."

"Oh, I'll go straight to the Queen. And you'll lose your job!"

A thunder of feet came marching down the pier. The City Guard was here. Twelve men in green uniforms bearing swords and shakos. In front, wearing white armor with gold embroidery and a purple cape, was General Alvarsson.

He approached the harbormaster. His dark, gray eyes glanced over mine and his grip tightened on his sword. I lowered my head and stood back. I did not want to get in his way.

"Harbormaster, what's the problem?"

"Uh, when I asked for security, I was not expecting a General…"

"I was in the area. What's the problem?"

"Well, this ship… La Grandière… Just docked in Arendelle. It's arrival wasn't on the manifest. And with the new security concerns…"

"I see." General Alvarsson turned to the Guard Captain. "Search it."

The captain turned to the guards standing in a block and belted the order. They shuffled up the pier and into the ship. The crew stepped aside as they opened crates and boxes, looking for contraband and illegal goods.

"Let me see the manifest." The General held out his hand and the Harbormaster gave him the manifest. "There's nothing here besides trading goods."

"See?" Bentley said, "There's nothing but humble trading goods here. Please, sir. I need access to the ship to get my shipments."

"My men will be done with their search soon."

"Not before they've gotten their nasty hands all over my precious valuables!"

Gabriel's sword was inching out of its sheath.

"What did you just-"

"What is this madness?" It was a new voice, squeaky and sharp. A man was walking down the plank. He wore a blue suit and white pants. His jacket was ruffled, the bowtie lopsided.

"Who's in charge of this operation?"

"I am. General Gabriel Alvarsson."

"Good. Then you can tell me why your men are treating me and my men like dogs."

"Are you the captain of this ship?"

"Yes, I spoke with the Harbormaster earlier."

The Harbormaster nodded.

"You failed to fill out the proper reports regarding your trade and arrival. Arendelle is a prosperous trading nation, and because of that, we have very strict-"

"I don't care what happened! This is a violation of the trading codes established by Arendelle and Altivillare. I'm here to make money-"

"So am I!" said Bentley.

"And, so is he. Look General, can we just let this slide?"

"No," said General Alvarsson.

"What?"

"Arendelle has strict trading rules."

"This is ridiculous. I demand to speak with the Queen."

"Fine."

The General nodded to a guard. The guard ran to the castle.

"Wait… he's actually going to get the Queen?"

"Yes."

"Uhh…"

"Don't want to see her anymore? I'm sure she'll be awfully disturbed…"

"No… no… I'll wait."

Bentley and I sat on the edge of the pier watching the Arendelle Guard tear apart La Grandière. Bentley's heart rate never slowed. He pulled out his pocket watch and stared at it. He put it back and stared at the sea. He took the pocket watch out again. The General stood over us, pacing the deck and watching his men. The Captain was on his ship watching the Guard search. I just wanted to go home.

"The Queen's here!"

Heads turned. I stood. The Queen walked with her guard. She wore an elaborate green dress and an icy crown on her head. Her face was resolute, her pace was graceful. The beautiful Snow Queen of the North. I was terrified.

The General bowed.

"My Queen, this ship was not scheduled to arrive. The Captain has requested to speak with you."

"Thank you, General Alvarsson."

The General rose and followed the Queen down the pier. The Captain left his ship and gave a curt bow to the Queen.

"Your Majesty, my deepest apologies for dragging you away from your work."

"It's fine. What's the matter?"

"These men are straining trade relations between our two nations. They are searching my men and my ship, and threatening to turn it back around to Altivillare."

"I understand." The Queen sighed and turned to the General. "Have your men found anything?"

"Nothing but odd trinkets and supplies."

The Queen spoke to the Captain, "Who is this shipment for?"

"Various traders and merchants in Arendelle, Your Majesty. You see, it's my job to get the goods Arendelle doesn't have from Altivillare."

"Please... wait until my men are done with their search."

"Ugh! I'm treated so poorly here! I'm done with shipping to Arendelle. I'll go… I'll go to Corona, or Weselton. Somewhere they respect their merchants!"

"I am deeply sorry for any goods damaged during this search. If no illegal goods are found on your ship, Arendelle will reimburse you. I-"

"Excuse me!" Bentley ran into the fray. I ran in to support him. Bentley bowed before the Queen. "Your Majesty, it is wonderful to meet you. I'm Cornelius Bentley, Arendelle's finest merchant and businessman."

"Um… Nice to meet you."

I bowed. "Pleased to meet you, Your Majesty. Mark Rutherford."

"Your Majesty," said Bentley, "This ship contains valuable goods I plan to sell in my shop. Uh, my and Mark Rutherford's shop. Can we perhaps, you know, hop on the ship and grab our stuff before you turn them back to Altivillare? Arendelle gets its trading goods, Altivillare learns to follow the rules… it's a win for everyone."

"You're lucky I don't arrest you for suggesting that," said the Queen.

The Guard brought a barrel from below deck and set in on the stern. "General! We've found something!"

"What?"

A guard took his sword and wedged it in the wooden lid. He pushed on the hilt and the barrel popped open. He looked at the Queen and pushed the barrel over. Black soot poured out. The particles were fine and slid across the deck and between the wood.

Gabriel drew his sword. The Queen turned to the Captain.

"Did you know about this?"

"What? I… no!"

It hit me late. Black powder. Stuffed in the darkest corners of the cargo hold. The reaction was quick. A small spark from a devilish hand, and the chemistry took over. Sulfur and charcoal, with saltpeter as the oxidizer.

The insides of the barrels wrapped in pressure and flame. The physical force from the reaction bent and broke the metal binding the barrels and the wood. Heat and force encapsulated the guards inside La Grandière. They saw the flash and the shock wave crushed their bones. The fire melted their skin and the wooden splinters riddled their flesh and tore limbs apart.

The shock wave was ahead of the heat. It pushed the hull outward. The wood bent until the force overpowered the dead wood, and it flew into the sky. On the pier, human reflexes initiated. Heads turned to the barrage of a thousand wooden spears flying at the people. The shock ate bones and crushed organs. The jagged wood pierced skin. It pierced eyes and limbs and skulls. A flash of light, a moment of terror, and eternal darkness.

The General was fast. He saw the flash and crouched, covered by his shield. The spears hit his shield and crumbled against the crest of Arendelle. The General stood firm in the explosion.

I saw the flash. The Queen was in front of me. My arms grabbed her waist and I threw myself off the pier. The heat of the explosion rippled over my skin. We hit the cold water. Her eyes widened.

The ice formed behind her, deep in the water. Javelins pointed at chest. I released her. It was getting colder. The javelins darted through the water. Two slid under my arms and pulled me to the surface. They stuck in the pier. Two more were at my chest, sharp edges pinning me to the side of the pier. A javelin rose from the water. Its needle touched my throat. My head was just above the surface, gasping for air within the waves.

The water was freezing. There were touches of red in the ice. Bodies floated face down on the surface and blood oozed from the wooden spears that pierced their corpses. It defiled the water.

The Queen hit the surface. She gasped and cried for help.

"My Queen!"

A bloody hand reached over the pier.

"Gabriel!"

The Queen swam through the blood and ice and grabbed the hand. It pulled her out of the water. The ice javelins threatening me fell into the fjord. I sank into the water and grabbed the wooden pier. I pulled myself onto the pier. There were puddles of blood and water and entrails slipping through the cracks. Tiny flames ate the wood.

I collapsed in the grime, coughing up blood and water. Someone poured a bucket of water on the flames and helped me up. They pushed me down the pier to the earth, and I collapsed on the stone. Bentley was there.

"My goods! My shipments! My money!"

"Bentley… you okay?"

"No, do you know how much money I've lost here?"

"Bentley…"

"You okay, kid?"

"Yeah…"

"You look awful."

"So do you."

The town was rushing to the flaming pier. The guard kept them back. They gasped and took off their hats and rushed their kids away from the scene of death. Volunteers fought the fire. The flaming bow of La Grandière slipped into the sea. Nothing but a pillar of smoke and floating bodies remained.

Two guards pulled La Grandière's Captain down the pier. Covered in blood, a spear of wood stuck in his abdomen, and his legs were missing below the knees. The limp muscle and charred bone scratched the pier. They sat him down and one guard started pumping on his chest. The other shook his head.

"He's gone."

They left.

There was a huddle of green around the Queen. The Guard kept her hidden from public view. One guard broke from the huddle and pushed into the crowd.

"Make a path for the Queen. Out of the way, you lot!"

The people shuffled backwards. Guards rushed to the scene and pushed the crowds out of the street. The people murmured and gasped.

General Alvarsson pushed out of the huddle. "We're clear. Let's go." He drew his sword and the rest of the Guard followed. They surrounded the Queen and jogged through the crowd to the castle. Blood covered the Queen and she had her hands on her head.

The General ran back through the crowd. He pointed at six guards and they followed. Then he pointed at Bentley and me.

The guards and the General ran to us, swords drawn. I stood up.

"Was this your doing?"

"What, no!" said Bentley.

"I… I have no idea what just happened," I said.

"Right."

General Alvarsson sheathed his sword. He turned to the guards.

"We need them for security. We're going to get to the bottom of this. Take them."

Four guards sheathed their swords. Two forced my hands together behind my back and tied them. The others bound Bentley.

"Wait? Are you arresting us?"

"Yes, Mr. Bentley. This was no mistake. We found when La Grandière was supposed to dock. Next week. This was your shipment. I saw your signature. We're going to find out who supplied the black powder."

"Look," I said. "We didn't do this. We had nothing to do with this. I know Princess Anna personally. She can vouch for us."

"Then your stay in the dungeons will be quick."

A guard kicked my leg. I stumbled and they forced us down the pier. My feet struggled for balance. The guard's pace was quick. They pushed us between the crowd, inducing gasps and cries from the people. There goes our public image.

We reached the bridge. Guards were running from the barracks to the catastrophe on the water. A guard pushed me into the courtyard. I tripped over my feet and fell to the ground…

"Mark?"

"Anna…"

"What… What happened? What have you done?"

"I don't know…"

The guards picked me up. They forced me across the courtyard. We took a left and entered a dark door to the castle dungeons. The stone was dark and cold. Swords encouraged me down the steps. Bentley followed. We reached an empty cell. A guard threw open the door and the others pushed me into the cell. I fell on the rock and coughed. More blood. Bentley fell next to me, getting a mouthful of hay. The door slammed shut and the metal lock echoed through the rock.

Bentley spat dirt and hay out of his mouth.

"I hate my job."

A/N: Another fun chapter to write! Please leave any feedback/comments/reviews you may have. I love to hear what you have to say!