Lyndon Thornshield

Lions Bay, a harbor town in Jorden

THE GENTLE BREATH of a warm summer's evening greeted Lyndon as he stepped off his ship and onto the sturdy hemlock docks of Lions Bay. The sun sank beneath the emerald waters behind him, and the sky swirled together in colors of pink and orange. Of all the cities he's traveled over Sylvetria, Lions Bay was always one of his favorites, at least when it came to harbor towns. Sprawled upon hills that turned to beaches, one could be forgiven to mistake the harbor town for a city, and a beautiful city at that. Built of gleaming seastone and warm maple wood, its Valdorian influences were stark and prominent, being so far south near the border. There were taverns on every street corner, always stocked with the sweetest of wines and the most beautiful of girls. Behind those taverns were Lyndon's favorite establishments; gambling dens, and there was always gold in the dens of Lions Bay. And it was always his for the taking.

"Welcome to Lions Bay, Lord Thornshield," said Sir Ander Granmund, a knight-captain of Jorden's naval force, the Order of Ships. He was a handsome young man, certainly young for a knight-captain. With sandy brown hair and deep blue eyes, he looked every inch a man of the seas. He greeted Lyndon with his five ship fleet once Lyndon's ship, the Fever's Dream, entered Jordein waters. Lyndon had no doubt his father sent word for them to do so. Sir Ander Granmund was the second son of Lord Byron Granmund, the ruler of the Emerald Groves and a close friend of Lionel Thornshield. Lyndon had hoped for a quiet entry into the kingdom of Jorden, but his father sought to oppose that.

Lyndon smiled warmly at him, like the summer breeze that blew against his skin. "Thank you, Sir Granmund. I'm all too familiar. A lovely harbor town you have here, with a lovely people and gallant navy." He gestured around towards the numerous warships surrounding the docks. The main sail of each ship bore the lion head of Jorden, roaring over a broken chain, and a smaller sail bearing the crest of the ship's captain. Sir Granmund's ship bore the sigil of his family, a sturdy oak tree, with black limbs and golden leaves.

Ander nodded in acknowledgment. "Tensions are high between the kingdoms, as I'm sure you are aware, Lord Thornshield. It's best to be ready for an attack on any front."

Lyndon hummed his reply. "I suppose that would be very tact. Does Jorden still sport a blue flag, now that King Joras has passed?"

Ander pressed his lips together. "As of now, yes. But I imagine the color will change when the regent is appointed by the Royal Squadron."

"I imagine the same, Sir Granmund. I heard your uncle, Lord Edric is the head of the Royal Squadron."

Ander nodded. "He has been for near a year now

"A noble family, you Granmunds. And how is your family? I'm sure they're terribly shaken after the passing of the Queen. She was a lovely woman."

"Aunt Victoria was a beloved Queen. She deserved a far better fate," Ander said mournfully.

Lyndon sighed. "That she did, that she did. And your lovely sister, how is she? Has she taken a husband yet?"

Ander shook his head. "No, Adelyn has yet to marry. She was being courted by a ranger not too long ago, but he was one to perish in that castle from the seas."

"I see...one day, a man will find himself lucky enough to take her hand in marriage." Lyndon turned back to his ship. "Sir Bellerdyn!" he called out.

Sir Owyn Bellerdyn came to the portside of the ship. He had been barking orders at the crew and the guard, ensuring all was in order for them to dock the seafaring vessel, and ensure it would stay in order until their return, whenever that would be. "You called, Lord Thornshield?"

Lyndon looked up at him, and nodded. "Why yes, yes I did. Leave someone else to see to the needs of the Dream, come join me and Sir Granmund for a drink and a game of cards!"

Ander raised his eyebrows. "I'm to join you as well?"

Lyndon smirked at him. "Of course, old friend, like the days of our youth, when my father would visit yours and we'd run through the trees of the Emerald Groves, only now, we'll run through the gold in our pockets!"

Ander grinned. "I'd see to my men and my ships first, but I will join you later tonight if you'd permit me."

Lyndon sighed with jest. "I suppose so, Sir Granmund, I forget you are a man of the seas. See to your sailors if you must, but if you haven't forgotten how to have fun, come join me at the Lucky Lady."

Ander snickered. "Of course, Lord Thornshield. I'll see you there." He nodded his head and turned to go back to his ship, ready to shout at his men for rolling dices instead of scrubbing decks.

Lyndon looked back to Owyn. "Owyn, let's go, I'm not a patient man! Leave one of the guardsmen to see to these affairs, I'm sure at least one of them is competent enough!"

Owyn sighed, and chuckled. Lyndon certainly wasn't a patient man. He looked at his guardsmen among the deck, hoping one of them wouldn't let the small power go to their head. "Sir Paylen, can I trust you to oversee to the affairs of the Dream?"

The guardsmen nodded. "Yes sir, you can!" He turned and started barking orders, louder and with more power than Owyn had been earlier. Owyn smiled softly, and went to meet with Lyndon on the docks, who had been flipping a golden coin with his thumb. "Everything in order?" Lyndon asked.

Owyn nodded. "Yes sir, I've left Sir Paylen to tend to the Dream."

Lyndon smiled a mischievous grin, and patted Owyn's shoulder. "Perfect!" He looked towards the budding city before him. "Let's go rob these bastards blind!"

Owyn sighed amusedly. It's going to be a long night

*****

Lyndon looked at his cards with as plain a face as he could muster, which was difficult. He had an amazing hand. Two kings in his hand alone, and two jacks in the turn, alongside a seven and a three. A two pair shy of being a full house, and a hand hard to beat. Two of the five other men he played with had folded and left the game, but not before making generous contributions to the pot. There was at least two hundred golden pieces, four hundred silver pieces, and a few coppers to round it off, and there was still one card left to complete the river. Lyndon prayed it would be a jack.

The dealer to looked to Lyndon. "And you, Lord Thornshield?"

Lyndon kept his face plain. "I'll match him," he said, tossing ten silver pieces into the pot.

Ander chuckled from across the table. He had changed from his seafaring steel and leather armor and wore his dress uniform, a grey coat traced with black embroidery, black trousers, and a blue shoulder cape. He was accompanied by two of his men, knight-lieutenants, and first mates of his ship. "I see you haven't lost your edge, Thornshield."

Lyndon smirked at him. "It's only gotten sharper, Granmund."

The other two lords at the table laughed at the witty remark. "Where did you say you were from again, lad?" Asked Lord Terryn Harvey, a plump man who was on his fourth mug of ale. He told Lyndon he was the owner of a few of the other taverns here in Lions Bay. Or maybe taverns in Greensfield, Lyndon wasn't really listening to him.

"Arnland, Lord Harvey," Lyndon said with an exaggerated arnish accent, and an exaggerated arnish smile.

Lord Richard Deien, the other lord they played with, lit up with delight. He was bald and brawny man, with the slightest signs of aging in his face. Lyndon was sure he said he owned the fisheries here in Lions Bay, but again, he wasn't really listening. "My mother is from Arnland, I hear they have sharper tongues than swords over there."

Lyndon chuckled. "I'm sure my friend Sir Bellerdyn here would disagree." He gestured to the armored man behind him, with two swords sheathed to his belt. One was shorter than the other, and made of silver. Gareth Thronshield gave him that sword years ago when he returned from a tourney of his. Owyn favored that one when he fought in close spaces, and felt the blade had a charm to it. Silver was known to make one lucky.

Owyn nodded at the lords. He was all Lyndon brought along for protection. Owyn insisted they bring at least another one of their other guards, but Lyndon assured him that he was all he needed to feel safe.

"I imagine he's quite good with that sword if he truly is all that you brought along for protection," said Ander. He sipped wine from his goblet, smiling as he did so.

"Oh, he is, and I pray none of you have to find out just how good he is," said Lyndon. It was always good to disguise your threats as jests, he had learned years ago. Whoever you threaten takes the hint, and you don't come off as an asshole, he'd say.

Lord Deien grunted in disagreement. "Even a master of the sword would struggle against five talented swordsmen, wouldn't you agree, Lord Thornshield?" He gestured around to his five bodyguards, some of whom sat in chairs, others leant up against walls, and one stood directly behind him. Lyndon assumed that guard was the captain.

Lyndon shrugged his shoulders. "I suppose I value quality over quantity."

Lord Deien didn't respond with words, only a smirk, and drank wine from his goblet.

The dealer had waited patiently for the conversation to run its course, and now that it was over, he drew the last card needed to complete the round, and set it with the other four at the center of the table. Lyndon near jumped with excitement. It was a jack.

"Final round of betting, gentleman. Lord Harvey? What will you have?"

Lord Harvey took twenty golden pieces and threw them upon the mound of gold and silver in the center. "Twenty golden pieces, my good man."

The dealer nodded. "Twenty golden pieces by Lord Harvey. Sir Granmund?"

Ander threw his cards on the table, and sighed. "I fold," he said with contempt.

The dealer nodded at his misfortune. "Sir Granmund has folded. Lord Deien?"

Lord Deien matched his twenty, and then threw in an extra ten silvers. "I'll raise."

"Very good, Lord Deien. Lord Thornshield?"

Lyndon looked at his opponents. Each did their best to keep a straight face, but he could see they each had excitement in their eyes. They each had a good hand.

Or at least thought they did

"I'll match their twenty gold and ten silvers, and I'll raise them each by ten gold pieces." Lyndon threw his wager into the pot with the flair of a man who knew the game, and knew the game well.

The dealer scratched his chin. "Very good, Lord Thornshield. Will the others match him, or will they raise?"

Lord Harvey matched Lyndon, as did Lord Deien. The dealer tidied up the pot, and looked back to Lord Harvey. "Your hand, Lord Harvey?"

Lord Harvey unveiled a seven and a king, a smug smile upon his face. Lyndon scoffed. Close, Lord Harvey, very close

"Three jacks and a pair of sevens, a full house. Lord Thornshield?"

It was Lyndon's turn to show his hand, and he was happy to. He let his cards fall face up on to the felt table. His pair of kings smiled up at him, and he returned the favor.

"Ah shit," Lord Harvey sighed, throwing up his fat arms in defeat.

The dealer nodded. "Another full house, king high. Lord Deien?"

Lord Deien eyed Lyndon suspiciously. His eyes were just short of being squinted, and he rubbed his two cards between his fingers. Lyndon felt a small bundle of nerves ball in his throat. The air grew tense, and the dealer looked back and forth between the two. No one said a word.

Finally, Lyndon cleared his throat. "Everything alright, Lord Deien?"

Lord Deien showed his hand, and Lyndon swallowed his bundle of nerves. Lord Deien also had a pair of kings.

"You tell me, Thornshield."

The dealer's eyes grew wide, and his eyebrows raised themselves. There were five kings out on the table, and only four kings to a deck.

Someone had cheated

Before anyone could say anything, Lord Deien bolted up from his chair, and knocked the table over as he did so. Gold and silver flew into the air, and rained onto the floor below, rattling along the wood. His bodyguards all bolted upright as well, and each drew their swords. Lord Deien's fists balled at his sides, and he bared his teeth. He pointed an accusing finger at Lyndon.

"You're a cheater!" he shouted.

Lyndon still sat in his chair with a look of innocence. "I'm not the cheater, I swear it."

Owyn's hand met the hilt of his short sword. He counted five men, all belonging to Lord Deien. Lord Harvey's men were all downstairs drinking, as the fat lord had permitted them to. He hoped they were drunk enough to remain oblivious to the situation they found themselves in. The fat lord himself finally stood from his chair and left for the stairs, jiggling as he ran. Lord Deien didn't care that he left. He knew Lord Harvey well, and he knew he wasn't the type to cheat. The dealer scurried to his feet and followed moments after.

Ander and his two men were standing as well, their hands on the hilts of their cutlasses. He kept his eyes on Lord Deien mostly, but stole a few glances at Lyndon.

Lord Deien snorted. "Do not play games with me, Thornshield!"

Lyndon smirked at him. "Was that not the point of tonight, Lord Deien?"

Lord Deien's face grew red with anger. He hated men with quippy tongues, and he would have his guards cut his arnish tongue out. "I've had it with your jests. You arnies make me sick. Men!" he snarled. "Grab him and bring him outside to the alley!"

Lyndon stood from his chair, his hands up in surrender. "Wait," he shouted.

Lord Deien's guards stopped in their tracks, and looked towards their Lord, waiting for his command. Lord Deien glared at Lyndon with fuming eyes. "If this is another quip, boy, I'll have them cut you and your friend there down," he said, nodding over to Owyn.

Lyndon went to scratch the back of his head and smiled. "Actually, I have nothing more to say, Lord Deien...but I do think Sir Bellerdyn does. Go ahead, Owyn!" Lyndon dropped to the ground as Owyn grabbed his chair and hurled it at the six men across the room. It broke into a mess of splinters and wooden limbs, and two of the guardsmen fell over.

Owyn unsheathed his silver shortsword and sprinted at the one closest to him. The man slashed his sword at him, but Owyn parried it and grabbed the man's head with his hand and smashed it into the stone wall. The guard stumbled dizzily, but Owyn still had him in his grasp. He saw a different blade coming down at him, and quickly yanked the guardsman he had in his hand in front of him. The sword hacked into the guards shoulder, and the guard let out a cry of pain. Another of Deien's men was to his right, ready to jab his blade into Owyn's side. Owyn parried the blade away with his shortsword and with another stroke, slashed at the man's throat. Blood sprayed from his neck, and the man fell to the ground. Owyn still had the other guard with the sword in his shoulder in his hand. He stepped to the side and threw the man to the floor.

Another guard came up from behind and wrapped one arm around Owyn's neck, and grabbed his sword arm with his hand. Owyn grunted, and with his free arm, threw his elbow into the guards ribs. The guard yelped, and his grip around Owyn's throat loosened. Owyn slipped out from his grasp, and spun around. The guard swung a fist at Owyn, but Owyn grabbed the guards wrist with his hand and shoved his sword into the man's stomach. He let the guard fall from his blade, and the corpse hit the ground with a thud that rattled the currency littered across the floor.

Owyn brought his sword point up, and eyed the remaining guards left with daring eyes. There were only two left of the five, and neither of them moved.

Ander and his two men still had their cutlasses sheathed. They hadn't moved a muscle, and weren't really able to. Owyn moved faster than any man Ander had ever seen before. It was no wonder Lyndon had brought only him along.

Lord Deien stood wide eyed with fear behind his two last remaining guards. He had paid good money for those men, and he was told they were the best guardsmen in all of Jorden. And they had fallen to the blade of a single Arnish man.

Lyndon stood up from the floor and dusted himself off. He came to the center of the room next to Owyn, who kept his blade pointed at Lord Deien and his two guards. He looked at the three corpses that littered the ground, and at the blood and coins everywhere. He frowned. "Sorry for the mess, Lord Deien. I suppose I should have warned you there'd be one."

Lord Deien huffed angrily. "You are a dirty, rotten cheater! And a murderer at that!"

Lyndon furrowed his brow and scoffed. "I'd hardly call it murder. This was, uh" he paused, thinking of the right words to use, and then the words came to him. "Ah yes, this was self defense, was it not? Am I correct, Sir Granmund?"

Ander swallowed away his nerves and cleared his throat. "Yes, Lord Thornshield. This could be considered self defense."

Lyndon smiled, and nodded. "Now, if it were Sir Bellerdyn and I laying here dead, I'm sure that would be considered murder, Lord Deien. But, as the Gods would have it, we're not, and thankfully so."

Owyn could hear the angry lord's teeth grinding. His knuckles had turned white from being balled so hard.

Lyndon picked up a piece of gold from the floor, and rolled it between his fingers. "I think I've had enough card games for one night. Would you agree, Sir Bellerdyn?"

Owyn kept his gaze on the two guardsmen, but nodded his head. "Aye, my lord, I would."

Lyndon turned to Ander. "I imagine you as well, Sir Granmund?"

Ander said nothing but nodded his head. He also had his eyes fixed on Lord Deien.

Lyndon shoved the gold piece into his pocket. He smiled at Lord Deien, who did not return his sentiment. "Well, it seems both parties agree. We'll leave you to the rest of your night, Lord Deien." He spun around on his heel and walked off towards the stairs, hands behind his back and whistling a tune. "You can keep the gold, by the way," he shouted from the stairs. "Gods know I have plenty!"

Owyn finally let his sword down, and slid the blade into its sheath. He was sure neither of them would try anything now. "Gentleman," he said with a bow of his head. He turned and followed after Lyndon. Ander and his men did the same, and Lord Deien was left alone with his men, the scent of blood and gold in the air.

Ander came up next to Owyn as they descended the steps of the staircase. "You fight like a storm, Sir Bellerdyn."

Owyn managed a dry smile. "It's never a dull moment with Lord Thornshield."

"Lyndon, did he," Ander paused, and forced the words out from his mouth. "Did he actually cheat?"

Owyn shrugged his shoulders and sighed.

It wouldn't be the first time