Chapter 88
Camped by the Throne
Traveler was the first awake, being conscious was perhaps the better description. His stomach was contesting with his head over which could punish him the most. The stomach won and he bolted toward the throne room.
His stomach demanded he stop and capitulate to the upward pressure of an internal volcano. His mind denied the stomach’s urges long enough so that he made it to the dumping ground for unwanted ale. He fell down in front of the high bowl. The mind acquiesced and the volcano stomach began a series of jerking eruptions.
The jerks made Traveler felt like he was riding a rollercoaster through a series of sharp twists and turns, ups and downs. Dizziness was a constant companion as he clung to the side of the throne and tried to survive his stomach’s revolt.
Finally the stomach took a timeout, either from exhaustion or being totally empty. Actually I was far beyond normal empty. Traveler tried to rise, cautiously checking out his balance and his energy. Both resisted his effort and he decided to crawl. He barely made it to a stack of the heavy woolen towels. I’ll just rest here for a moment, he thought.
A sympathetic Morpheus appeared, patted him on the head and sent him into a sweet slumber. A grinning Bacchus watched, saying to his sleep-god friend, “As Shakespeare will write in a future time, ‘Sleep that knits up the raveled sleave of care,’ and there is quite a raveled sleave lying here. These mortals need to bless your name, Morpheus. I’m the bringer of excess joys and you’re the after-cure. May I offer you a cup of my finest while he slumbers?”
Traveler was in a deep dream state when he felt the air vibrating from volcanic eruptions. A sea of russet, reddish hair framed the throne. White fingers clung desperately to the sides. Mournful sounds came from deep in the bowl. The head and hair muffled the sound, but it still brought Traveler to a semi-awake state.
Misery loves company, he thought. Lying on his side he finally saw the creature from the bowl raise its head. The volcano seemed to have taken a break. Gripping several of the heavy towels he gave them a weak toss to land beside the pale, disoriented Glenda. “Trust me, make a pillow and stay put. I’m off to slumber land again.”
Glenda waited for a humorous follow-up but received none. Traveler was already making soft sleeping noises. For a moment she tried to get to her feet, but realized a fall was in her immediate future. I’ll rest here for a moment, then go back to bed. She barely bunched the towels into a pillow before Morpheus provided the same balm given to Traveler.
Bacchus looked down critically at the youths, “These two would never have survived my Greek and Roman festivities. Maybe modern humans are a tad smarter but certainly no match for those early party animals.”
Morpheus simply nodded in agreement. He had a god’s long lifetime watching humans first discover the virtues of alcohol and the subsequent price paid for their excess enjoyments.
Chapter 89
Olaff Meets the Mage
Olaff awoke from a pleasant dream, the mage had been bested and the duke was back in control of himself and the fortress. More importantly he had embraced Olaff as his longtime friend and companion, a true brother.
Chuckling to himself he thought, Time to look into the condition of the sleeping imbibers. They should start to feel semi-human now and ready to test their balance against gravity. I’ll help them rejoin the living by feeding their sore stomachs. He took a large tray and placed fruit, bread, chunks of chicken, slices of a sweet cheese, and mugs of sweet milk and water on it.
Olaff knew exactly where to find them. Walking into the throne room he saw that they were each lying on their sides, awake but trying to gather their wits while ignoring each other. Embarrassment hung in the air like a thick fog.
“Time to pull yourselves together. The drinking party starts again in half an hour and your ale is waiting for you. In Rome this is just the second stage of the party.” Then the giant laughed.
At the mention of ale both Traveler and Glenda turned an even whiter shade of white. Olaff smiled condescendingly. “We’ve all been there. The best cure now after a long sleep is food. I’ll leave this, feel free to join me when you’re ready.”
Glenda was now sitting up and leaning against the throne. Reaching onto the tray she took a piece of the bread and a small piece of cheese. She nibbled at first, then her stomach demanded its share and she realized she was famished. Glancing over she saw Traveler was already holding chicken in one hand and bread in the other. He was not quite gorging, but close.
“Don’t bite your hand, big boy.”
“Unbelievable. I thought I had died and now I’m alive and so hungry. I know I should slow down but my stomach seems in control of everything.”
“Me too. I think the stomach knows that we burned up a lot of energy and is doing its job to refill the calorie bin.” She took a deep drink of the water, then switched to milk.
The two continued to eat but at a slower pace before Glenda said, “I am so thirsty. It’s funny that after drinking all that ale I’m thirsty, but I sure am.”
“Yeah, go figure. After watching a lot of people get drunk on TV, now I understand the aftermath. I think Olaff’s ale was far stronger than what normal people drink. Only two steins and it did this.”
Glenda started to laugh. “Two! Hate to tell you, but you lost count. I know since I lost count after two. But then who really wants to count when they’re having fun?”
Traveler acknowledged his poor arithmetic with a sad head nod. “OK, I’m sure you’re right. Let’s go have a sit-down with the really big guy. Sit-down is the operative word for me.”
Once in the dining area they found the short walk had helped them reenter the world of the living. Olaff looked at them, shrugged his shoulders, and said “Can we discuss how best to proceed?”
Glenda gave him a weak head nod, “You start first. Tell us how you ended up down here, we heard that you and the duke were like brothers.”
“Fair question with a sad answer. It started with a scout arriving on a lathered horse. Clearly both scout and mount had been traveling for many days and both were exhausted. I was with the duke when the scout gave his report.
“He said that there was an unstoppable invading horde of mounted warriors from the east. They were coming through the long passes that connect the frontier and our fortress. They traveled fast without slow-moving siege equipment. He estimated they would arrive within ten days.
“The scout said that he had approached their camp to observe their numbers and armament. Apparently their armament was primarily their bows, but he said these bows had a range and striking power well beyond our own bows. He claimed he watched mounted warriors practice their archery while racing on their mounts. He said their accuracy was stunning and far beyond anything he had ever seen.
“Finally he estimated their numbers as being in excess of 40,000. He cautioned it could be much greater since their line of mounted warriors stretched far out of sight in the mountain pass.
“Dall and I accepted this threat as being accurate. Our scout was experienced and fearless. He was proven to be an accurate observer even in the face of overwhelming odds. And he was an accomplished archer himself.”
“Sorry to interrupt, but who is Dall?” asked Traveler.
Olaff chuckled, “That’s the duke’s non-titled name. I guess I’m the only one who calls him that, and only in private. To all others he is Duke or Sire. Of course, we were traveling companions and fighting companions before we arrived at this fortress and assumed command. To me he is simply my friend, ally, and brother.
“When we arrived, he assumed the role of protector of the fortress and never went far away. I took on the role of a traveling peacekeeper. The roles suited each of us. Funny though, neither of us can remember exactly when or how we ended up here. Maybe my ale has something to do with our lost memories. One of life’s many mysteries, I guess.”
“How did you fall out of Dall’s grace either as a friend or a fighting all
y?” asked Traveler.
“It happened after the scout was dismissed. Dall opened a map of the region through which the Huns were reportedly coming. We identified the best bottlenecks for an ambush. Mounted riders lose much of their advantage when they cannot spread out. We knew these mountain roads and decided on the place to defend against a much larger enemy.
“We discussed over many hours the best means of moving our own army with its necessary armament. We have found there is a great advantage in placing Roman catapults behind our troops. With narrow openings out of the pass, the catapults can wreak havoc on horsemen bunched together.
“Once we had our battle plan in place, Dall asked me to remain behind. While this was the opposite of our normal roles, he said that in the event he failed to stop the Hun I was the greater warrior. He thought I could better hold the fortress until our neighboring lords came to our support.”
“OK, that sounds like a solid plan,” said Traveler. “So, what happened? Clearly Dall came back as a victor.”
“He returned a victor, but not the friend that I knew. To welcome him I had our castle guard outside the fortress gates in a parade formation. Trumpets and drums sounded across the approach field and victory flags streamed in a brisk breeze.
“The first thing I noticed with his approach was that the old mage rode beside him. This is a position reserved for a hero on the battlefield. It may be a captain or a simple warrior but only extraordinary merit in combat earns this place. I could not see how the old mage could have earned this honor.
“I also noted that the returning army seemed intact without the expected losses. But even without losses it was a somber army returning. As they marched past me into the fortress, I raised my war hammer in salute and a few raised their swords and spears but without the expected vigor of winners.
“Dall came right past me but never gave me eye contact. Only the mage stared at me as he passed. I thought he was ill since there was a red gleam in his eyes.”
“We know that look,” said Glenda. “That was not the mage that you knew.”
Olaff nodded in agreement, “I learned that sad fact over the victory banquet that evening. As I walked to my usual position on the podium the mage was sitting in my place beside Dall’s right hand. I was more than annoyed. I was angry at his presumption of his importance.
“My seat is recognized by all as my co-chair with the duke. This mage knew better than to test me and I had no tolerance for his hubris. For a moment I considered teaching him his place by picking him up and putting him down on the floor below to sit with the common soldiers. He reminded me of a dog who was trying to sit where it knew it did not belong.
“As I turned to remove him, I heard a soft voice coming from Dall, more of a whisper. I looked down to see a single finger motioning me to bend down to his face. For a moment I was confused and angry. He knew how I would react to the mage’s insult, but then his eyes stopped me.
“The eyes told me my friend was in trouble and it was trouble he could not manage. I immediately bent down and heard him whisper, ‘Avoid the mage, he is a demon. Avoid me. Go now, hide and survive.’
“As I was about to ask my friend further questions, I became aware of the mage staring at me as he rose to approach me. His stare sent a shock through me, and very little shocks me. Scrambling I said, ‘The duke asked me for his special wine. He seems to have a very sore throat and cannot call out to a page. May I secure a mug for you also?’
“The mage gave me a nod of dismissal followed by an insulting command to, ‘Hurry and fetch the wine.’ For a moment I thought of lifting him off his feet and sending him flying, then I wisely gave him a slight bow. He accepted my bow as due him with his ascendant role in the fortress. Without hesitation I left the podium.
“Rather than going for the wine myself I sent a page. I knew I should not draw further attention to myself. I proceeded to the kitchen and packed several heavy bags of food and a keg of my own brewed ale. I knew I was in for a siege and provisions are critical for survival. The cooks know me well and I had the best choices. I carried my stores in both arms and on my back and hurried toward my safe retreat where we now sit.
“The hidden access to this safe place was created by Dall and me when we first took control of the fortress. The entrance was designed to blend into the wall, and was only known to the two of us. Of course it’s known to you also. I doubt whether Dall has a memory of this place, I saw he struggled to give me his simple message. Now a question for you, how did you two discover this place?”
Traveler gave a short version of following the water route to the iron gates, diving down under them, and then surfacing in the interior lake. Olaff listened and then said, “Dall and I created the guarding gates of the strongest iron. We took the gates down to the floor of the river. For you to work your way under them is remarkable. You must have lungs like balloons to hold that much air.”
Traveler noticed Glenda was blushing her deepest red. He wisely chose not to mention how he had transferred air to her while she descended.
Chapter 90
First, Study Your Enemy
“We have found our common bond,” said Olaff, “and it is a common foe. We must overcome this jinn creature masquerading as the mage.”
“That is exactly our goal,” answered Glenda. “How we do that is the question.”
Olaff frowned in thought, then answered. “Like any enemy to be engaged, first we need to learn more about him. We need to observe his common patterns of movement and critically who his allies may be. With this demon I expect he is alone and has no need for allies. Strong scouting may offer us an insight about how to master him.”
Traveler nodded in agreement. “Glenda and I will be the stealth scouts.” Looking at Glenda he added, “Let’s separate. This place is huge and we can cover more apart.”
Glenda nodded, “I’ll follow the duke since the mage is always close to him.”
“Good idea, I’ll scout the rest of the fortress. I have an idea that I want to think through. Olaff, for right now you should stay hidden. I think when we need you it will be at full strength.”
Olaff smiled back. “I accept your offer to play the rear-guard role, much as I did for Dall. Besides, I’m tired from trying to sleep sitting in a chair, I’ll create a suitable bed here by the fire.”
With their roles determined Glenda and Traveler went to a moored boat and crossed the lake. Traveler did the rowing honors and Glenda leaped to the pier when they were close. With the boat secure they proceeded up the stone staircase with caution. As they ascended, they now understood the rise in the steps was designed for Olaff and Dall. Once they had reached the fortress main hallway they separated.
Glenda stood quietly as she planned her first spying effort. After some thought she decided the kitchen was a good starting place. Everybody, including the mage, needs to eat so I’ll follow the food trail.
She pulled her hair up into a tight bun and then wrapped a piece of wool cloth around it to form a servant’s cap. Smiling to herself she thought, A woman’s job is never over, for sure not in a place this big. Give me a broom to carry and I’ll be invisible even without my stealth skill. To anyone noticing she was just another servant girl hustling through the halls.
Once she reached the kitchen she paused just inside and watched the cooks, assistant cooks, scullery maids, and various serving staff at work. Cooking was a fulltime operation given the number of the people that lived in the fortress. It was now approaching the early midday meal and baskets were being prepared to take out to workers at their sites.
Glenda noticed that one young servant was preparing a silver tray. The cooks were personally placing the best choices on this tray. Each added piece was carefully inspected before it was deemed worthy. Hot soups and meats were covered with hot iron lids to retain heat. This tray must be going to the duke and mage.
Glenda watched the serving girl carefully lift the tray to avoid any spillage. The kitchen overseer, a large thickish
woman, admonished the girl, “It’s a heavy tray but you must keep it level. If the mage finds you’ve made a mess, it’s a dark time for you. The mage also expects the food to be hot so I suggest you move quickly.” The girl kept her head down to avoid looking at the overseer and only nodded as she headed to the passage door.
Glenda followed behind her at a distance that was sufficient not to bother the girl yet close enough to observe her every step. The girl was walking inside a long, wide tunnel. After less than five minutes Glenda heard the girl’s breathing begin to labor. Glenda knew the girl’s arms were weakening and spillage was fast approaching.
Glenda quickly stepped beside her saying, “If you stop for a moment, I can carry that for a while, it looks terribly heavy.” The girl stopped as requested. The girl’s face was pale from the stress of the weight as well as the anticipated punishment for delivering a messy tray.
As Glenda took the tray the girl whimpered, “Thank you so much! My arms are aching and we still have the stairs to climb. I know I could not have made it. The overseer is angry at me and this was her way of punishing me.” Glenda noted the tears that were already filling the corners of both eyes.
Glenda held the tray perfectly level and walked forward with a confident stride. “I saw you leave and knew this was an impossible job for one person, so I decided to follow and help. I’m on my own lunch break so I have some extra time. We servant girls need to help each other.”
With Glenda easily carrying the tray, the two could now fast-walk through the long connecting tunnel. At the tunnel’s end was a thick oak door with iron bands across it, but it was open. Clearly the door was a defensive device that, when locked, would stop any attackers from ascending the staircase. Looking ahead Glenda thought, I bet these stairs will lead to not only the duke’s room but also the creature’s sanctum.
The Blighted Fortress Page 29