"Oy, there, love. Want somethin' a bit juicier to play with tonight?"
Nikolai took Sienna's hand, pulling her closer, and tossed a sovereign at the prostitute. "Not tonight, dear lady."
She cackled heartily. "Ye 'erd that, Mable? I'm a lady t'night." More laughter.
Heat flamed up Sienna's chest and neck. She'd seen women selling themselves in the streets of Dale's Peak before, but something about walking past them with Nikolai at her side and him receiving a brazen offer tied her stomach into knots. She whispered to Nikolai as they approached the door to the tavern, "Do you partake of women like that?"
He glanced over his shoulder with a baffled expression and shook his head before pushing open the door. Sienna didn't know if that meant no, he did not partake of such women or that he thought her question ridiculous. Either way, he didn't answer her.
The pub rumbled with boisterous laughter, filled with mostly men. A round table of five gruff card players sat at the center. None looked up as they entered. Booths along the wall were full of working men spending their meager wages on ale and a pot of tavern stew. One or two eyed Sienna. She tucked herself behind Nikolai, keeping the hood of her cloak pulled forward, no longer with the telltale red exterior showing. Two waitresses bustled between the table tops, refilling tankards and serving bowls of hot stew.
A giant stuffed head of a black bull hung over the bar. His nose ring and black eyes gave the beast a fierce look. Sienna thought it an appropriate mascot for the place. The barkeep was a brawny middle-aged man, drying glasses with a rag and watching the newcomers as they approached.
Nikolai didn't slow his pace as he rounded the side of the bar and tossed a sovereign down. "The Barrow brothers."
The barkeep gave a stiff nod over his shoulder. Nikolai tugged her down the corridor, releasing her hand when they reached a door that opened to a narrow staircase leading down. There were murmurs of voices from below but not nearly equaling the raucous noise from above. Nikolai placed a gentle hand on her back to usher her ahead of him, then they made their way down to the basement. Sconces along the wall lit the chamber lined with barrels of ale along two walls. A group of nearly thirty men and women milled about the room.
"I'll be damned, he finally showed." Sienna recognized the merry countenance of Ivan Barrow, all broad chest and beefy arms as he clasped Nikolai's hand.
"Did you think I wouldn't?"
"Of course not. Our lieutenant never fails," said Evan, stepping forward, Ivan's twin brother. Evan handed Ivan a tankard of ale. A serving wench carried a tray of tankards from man to man, tucking the coin in her pocket as she went along.
Ivan gulped his beer, then said, "Aye. Just thought you might have trouble getting to your cousin."
"Not with Sienna's help," said Nikolai, nudging her forward with a hand at the small of her back where he let it remain.
"Ah, we welcome your aid once again, my lady," said Ivan with a bow and a bright smile.
"I will do all that I can," she assured them.
Last time she came to their aid, she was in the company of Duchess and Luca. Without her steady guardians, she felt more vulnerable. Nikolai slid his hand to her opposite hip and squeezed reassuringly, which eased some of her insecurity but also stirred a small tempest low in her belly.
Glancing over his shoulder, he leaned in and asked low, "Did the goods come through from the duke?"
"Aye," replied Evan, also keeping his voice low, though there was no one too close to overhear. "Not just goods. That man bought a sloop here in Hiddleston's harbor and had it stocked with food, clothes, and blankets. Even some livestock. Chickens and goats. It was waiting when we got here."
"Was Friedrich here as well?"
"No. His man Grant was waiting to sign over the title of the ship. Took care of business, then slipped off in the night, heading back to the north."
"Marius will be pleased." Nikolai shifted his body closer to her, his hip pressing to her side. "We were running dangerously low. With more recruits coming in, we'll need as many supplies as we can get while on the mainland."
"Don't you worry," said Ivan, his merry face more grave. "We've got gold to barter for more. We'll be well-stocked for a long winter before we leave here, I assure you."
"Good." Nikolai's hand tightened on her waist. "Then all is going as planned."
"Aye. So far. Come on, then," said Ivan, nodding his head toward the center of the room. "There's a few I'd like you to meet."
Sienna followed with Nikolai still protectively at her back.
"Gentlemen, I'd like you to meet Lieutenant Nikolai and Lady Sienna," said Ivan to three older gentlemen with an air of importance, though they wore working men's clothes. He gestured to them. "Mr. Mills, Mr. Surry, and Mr. Lowe are the elder members of the masonry guild which comprises of all skilled masons of Hiddleston, Lobdell, and Dale's Peak."