“You’re sure she wasn’t hiding anything?” Jax asked when Shade finished recounting his discussion with Freya.
“No way. She clearly doesn’t care where the kids come from.”
Shade flicked a glance at Rondo, who appeared deep in thought.
“The hummingbird dragons were with her when she arrived at the orphanage,” Rondo said at last. “You’re certain?”
“I’m certain that’s what she said. That’s not exactly something a person makes up. Why?”
Rondo tapped his chin. “I always assumed she befriended the creatures at the turtle farm. If she had them with her, they can’t be native to the swamp. But if we can figure out where they are native to…”
Jax said. “We’ll know where she came from.”
“Sure,” Shade said. “But I for one am not exactly up on my dragon habitats.”
He looked from Jax to Rondo, but clearly neither of them had any idea either.
“We’re going to have to ask Lord Black to research it for us,” Rondo said.
Jax nodded and began to murmur a spell. Soon an oval of magical energy appeared in the air. A few seconds later the boss’s face filled it.
“Have you found the information?”
“Not yet, Leonidas,” Jax said. “But we have a new line of inquiry. It seems the girl had the hummingbird dragons before she went to the swamp. Rondo speculates that she may have come from their home range. Unfortunately, none of us know where that is.”
“I’ll find out and be in touch. Domina’s accomplishing exactly nothing here. It’s a relief to know you three are still making progress.”
The boss vanished. At least he didn’t seem mad. Shade was happy to take that as a win.
Callie hadn’t been to visit Rend City in five years. From a distance it looked as calm behind the massive walls as every other time she’d come. During the last war, Carttoom’s forces never reached the city gates so it took no damage. That was certainly a good thing, but she sometimes felt it made the people complacent. If things went bad, complacent was the last thing you wanted to be.
She approached, riding in the first of a line of three covered wagons, her surviving bards in the back beside her, and the sages from Dragonspire Village in the two wagons to the rear. Their leader, Durnik, was determined to find a place for them and he hoped to find it in the capital. Callie doubted they’d have much trouble, as there was always high demand for learned individuals. Depending on their area of expertise, some might even find work at the palace.
A long sigh slipped out. Pity her visit wasn’t under better circumstances. Much as she wasn’t looking forward to reporting to the king, what really had her worried was how many of her bards made it safely to the emergency meeting spot. She hoped all of them but knew that was far too optimistic. There was no way they all survived the forest fire.
At midday, the city gates were wide open and the guards waved them through as they approached. The men on duty didn’t even make a cursory check of the wagons. Definitely complacent.
The city’s perfect condition clashed sharply with what had been happening near the border. You’d almost think you were in another world as you rode down the smooth cobblestone streets. They were far enough south that the snows hadn’t started yet though it wouldn’t be long now. Smoke spiraled from many chimneys and the smell of bread baking filled the air. Despite the circumstances, it was nice to be back in civilization.
“What do you think the king is going to have to say?” Lucy asked.
“He’s not going to be pleased that’s for sure,” Callie said. “I’m hoping his anger will be primarily focused on the Dark Sages rather than on my keeping a secret from him. I wasn’t wrong, was I, not telling him about Ariel’s ability? I mean, can you imagine if she lost her temper in the capital and summoned that dragon? The loss of life would’ve been enormous.”
“I think,” Lucy said. “That framing it as protecting the people of the city would be your best angle of attack. He’ll have a much harder time criticizing you for that.”
“It’s not that I mind being criticized, it’s just I felt I was doing the right thing. I still think I did the right thing, despite how it turned out.”
“You did your best, and that’s what matters. If the king can’t see that, then he’s an idiot.”
Callie smiled at Lucy’s typically blunt assessment. Hopefully she’d remember to keep that sort of comment to herself should she ever meet the king. He was a good man, but not the most patient.
“Are we going right to the palace, ma’am?” the private driving the wagon asked.
Callie absolutely should report directly to the king, but there was no way she’d be able to focus until she learned how her people made out. “No. Do you know the Stone Garden Inn on Silver Scale Road?”
“Sure, ma’am, biggest tavern in the city.” He looked back at her, his very young face confused. “You want to get a drink before you see the king?”
Callie grinned. “Not exactly. I’m supposed to meet some friends there. I’ll be quick, rest assured.”
He shrugged like it was her funeral and guided the wagons down a side street of the central avenue. Callie had chosen the Stone Garden as the emergency meeting place for two reasons. One, the owner was an old friend and would be happy to look after her people for as long as necessary and two, in a place as big as the Garden, no would notice an extra-large group. At least that was what she hoped. Soon enough she’d find out if she was right.
The wagons clattered to a stop in front of a sprawling, three-story building. At this time of day it wasn’t terribly busy, but when everyone got off work tonight, it would be packed. Callie leapt off the wagon and Lucy and Albert joined her a moment later.
Before she could take a step toward the building Durnik asked, “Will we be staying long?”
“Ten minutes, at most,” Callie said. “Go ahead and stretch your legs if you want.”
He waved and the bards left their traveling companions to their own devices. Callie pushed through the door and entered the dim first-floor common room. Three parties were having an early lunch. They glanced at Callie and her companions before returning to their meals. She crossed the room and turned toward the bartender, a young woman dressed in a snug tunic that showed off her ample curves. The outfit probably helped with tips in the evening, though Callie doubted it did her much good at this time of day.
“Get you a drink?” she asked.
Callie shook her head. “Is Edgar in?”
Her welcoming expression clouded. “Is he expecting you?”
“No, but he’ll be glad to see me all the same. I’m here to visit his special guests.”
“Callie?” she asked.
“Yeah, did he tell you to expect me?”
“At some point. Hang on, I’ll get him.” She slipped through a door behind the bar leaving Callie and the others to their own devices for the moment.
“Maybe we should have asked for drinks before she left,” Lucy said.
“And show up to see King Rend with wine on our breath? I think not. He’ll be in a bad enough mood as it is.”
“Fair point.”
The bartender returned a minute later. “He said to go on up to the third floor. Your friends are all there. He’ll join you shortly.”
“Thanks.” Callie would have left her a tip, but she was utterly broke. She’d been living on the army’s charity since reaching the border as well as during the journey south.
The stairs were built against the rear wall. Callie had to force herself not to take them two at a time. As it was, she practically ran. At the top-floor landing, Thomas, the head spirit magic instructor, was waiting. He looked haggard, and more gray than she remembered streaked his hair, but he wasn’t hurt and that was all that mattered.
Callie smiled and hugged him. “By all the gods it is good to see you again. Did everyone make it?”
Thomas stared at the floor and shook his head. “We lost five, all students. You?”
“The bastards took Ariel and murdered Amanda.”
“They were good girls.” Thomas looked up at her then, a fierce gleam in his eyes. “We’re going to get them back for this, aren’t we, Callie?”
“You’re damn right we are. After I meet with King Rend, I’ll come back here and we’ll make plans. It’ll be tricky since they’re based in Carttoom. No way will the king sanction a cross-border raid. He won’t want to risk another war.”
Thomas grumbled something then gave a full-body shudder. “That’s for later. Come on in and see everyone.”
Callie smiled the first heartfelt smile she’d had in ages. She couldn’t wait to see her students; she only wished she could see all of them.
Chapter 4
The Free City of Kuralt appeared to be buried in snow from a distance. Yaz, Silas, and Brigid arrived a little after noon and found a hiding place for their flying sleigh about a mile out from the city in a clump of snow-covered evergreens. No one would be able to see it unless they literally walked into the trees. It would have been nice to take the magical transport all the way into the city, but it would cause too much of a commotion. They really didn’t need to attract attention before trying to rescue a dozen slaves.
“It’s smaller than I expected,” Brigid said.
She had a point. Kuralt wasn’t as big as Carttoom City by a fair margin, however, their walls were tall and looked strong with only a single gate. That would make getting out a trick if things went badly. Their luck had been hit or miss lately, so Yaz wasn’t counting on things going their way.
“Let’s stop staring at it and get moving,” Silas said. “Before I freeze to death.”
That was an excellent idea. The snow between their hiding place and the main road was over Yaz’s knees. Luckily, they only had a hundred or so yards to break a trail. Being the tallest, Silas took the lead. By the time they left the snow, he wasn’t complaining about being cold. His face was bright red and his breath came in great white puffs.
“I hate snow,” Silas muttered.
Yaz stepped out in front as they started down the road. He wasn’t a great fan of snow either. Back home he would have had snowshoes to help him when he was out hunting and most of the time he just lent a hand at the tower and didn’t bother going outside the village.
When they reached the city they found a guard shack built next to the wall with smoke rising out of it. A guard poked his head out, gave them one look, and motioned them through.
“Guess we don’t look very threatening,” Brigid said.
“Good. I hope they forget all about us.” Yaz led the way inside. He doubted they would, though. A group approaching on foot in this weather would stand out. “Let’s find an inn, I need something hot to drink.”
“Hear, hear,” Silas said.
Just inside the gate, a wide, straight road ran directly to a huge stadium in the center of the city. It dwarfed the one- and two-story buildings that lined the streets in every direction. Yaz wouldn’t have been surprised if it seated every person in the city. Clearly the people of Kuralt took their games seriously.
Instead of settling in the first inn they passed, Yaz led the group deeper into the city, closer to the stadium. If there was information to be had about the dragonriders, it should be easier to get the closer they went. At least that was his theory. All he knew for sure was that the person that bought them hailed from this city. Aside from serving as gladiators, he couldn’t image another reason someone would buy trained warriors and drag them all the way here.
They ended up at a small inn off the main street. It was a typical two-story affair much like all the other inns they stayed at. Yaz seriously missed sleeping in the same bed every night. When he was home, he’d never given it a thought, but now it seemed like a luxury beyond compare.
The innkeeper sat at a small table just to the left of the bar at the rear of the common room. It was still early and none of the tables were occupied by customers. A trio of serving girls sat chatting quietly at one. Yaz paid them no more than a passing heed as he approached the innkeeper. She was an older woman, her hair having gone gray long ago and deep wrinkles lining her face and hands. She wore a neat blue dress and smiled with perfect white teeth as they approached.
“You kids need rooms?” she asked.
“Yes, please,” Yaz said. “A double and a single. Your inn is very quiet if you don’t mind my saying so.”
She blew out a sigh. “Don’t I know it. The city’s been dead since Sanden City opened an arena of their own. Their people used to come here to watch the fights, now they only come in the nice weather. That won’t return until spring. Hopefully we’ll still be in business when they do come back. You all are here for the games I assume.”
“We sure are,” Yaz said. “We heard rumors that dragonriders were fighting at the arena. Can you imagine, men actually riding dragons? We just had to see for ourselves.”
“I saw them once,” said the innkeeper. “Biggest men I’ve ever laid eyes on. And could they ever fight. One big blond fellow killed a black bear with just his hands. That got the crowd cheering I’ll tell you.”
“I’m sure,” Yaz said.
“Will there be fights tonight?” Silas asked.
“Nope, not tonight,” the innkeeper said. “They’re refitting the arena for something new. The managers are keeping real tightlipped about it, which is strange since they can seldom keep a secret for more than five minutes.”
She handed them keys and Yaz paid a reasonable six silver scales for the rooms. It seemed their search would have to wait until tomorrow to begin in earnest.
It was midafternoon when Callie’s three wagons clattered up the main street toward the castle. The Rend royal palace started its life as a practical fortification. As the kingdom became more peaceful and the frontier pushed further away, the castle changed one generation after another, into something less practical and more lavish. A home fit for a king rather than a military building.
The outside remained dark and forbidding and as Callie and her small caravan approached, she was reminded who really held power in Rend. Not that she needed reminding.
Six guards dressed in mail and carrying halberds and swords were on duty at the main gate. Callie’s driver reined in at their command.
A guard with the sergeant chevron on his shoulder approached and asked, “Name and business?”
“Callie, Mistress of Bards, to see His Majesty. The king is expecting me.”
The sergeant nodded. “As were we. Who else is with you?”
“I hoped to introduce a group of sages who crossed over from Carttoom. I’m sure their knowledge will be a great asset to the kingdom.”
The sergeant’s expression hardened a little. “Carttoom, huh. You’ll vouch for them?”
“Absolutely. These people were held as slaves and still have the brands on their arms. I assure you they have no love for our enemies.”
“Ex-slaves are they?” He spat to one side. “Miserable institution if ever there was one. Go on in.”
The other guards moved aside and her driver flicked his reins. They clattered across the drawbridge and into the courtyard, sending a flock of chickens running in every direction.
Callie climbed down and the driver said, “I’ll tend the horses. You don’t want to keep the king waiting after all.”
She thought she detected a hint of disapproval in his voice given that she had already delayed a little bit to check on her people, but Callie let it go. The driver was a loyal soldier so it was only natural that he would be offended at anything that might trouble his king.
The sages joined her on the ground and set to trying to brush the worst of the dust off their robes. It was a vain effort. Besides, the robes were borrowed and ill fitting. A little bit of dust wasn’t really going to damage their first impression. Not that Callie was all that much tidier herself.
She didn’t actually want to look her best. Let King Rend see that they’d been through a diff
icult time. It was a subtle statement, but sometimes subtle worked best when you were dealing with the nobility. And unlike his uncle on the border, the king was a true nobleman. Whether that was a positive thing or not depended on who you asked.
At the far end of the courtyard a massive set of double doors led into the castle proper. Since the kingdom was at peace, the doors were open though a pair of soldiers was on duty to make sure there was no trouble. She’d heard plenty of soldiers over the years claim it was the softest duty you could get. They didn’t mean it as a compliment.
Head Sage Durnik finally gave up on his preening and said, “We’re ready when you are, Miss.”
Callie smiled. People seldom spoke to her like she was still a little girl. She found she liked it when he did. Durnik was a sweet old man and what Carttoom had done to him was a tragedy. She’d do her absolute best to make sure King Rend appreciated what the sages had to offer. They deserved that at the very least.
“Then let’s not keep him waiting.” Callie led the way across the courtyard.
The guards waved them through without so much as a second glance. While it was true that the outer wall guards should catch anyone not meant to be inside the palace, it wouldn’t hurt for them to be at least a little bit wary. Peace or not, assassins weren’t impossible.
She put them out of her mind. Those fools were someone else’s problem. She had enough to deal with as it was. Callie marched down a long hall to yet another set of double doors. These doors led to the throne room. Since they were closed, court must be in session. Instead of soldiers, this door was guarded by the castle seneschal, a far more intimidating fellow than the two men on duty out front, despite their swords. His name was Malik. If he had a family name, she’d never heard it. He sat on a tall stool behind an equally tall lectern.
Malik had served in his position since the current King Rend’s grandfather ruled the kingdom. He was a dour, looming figure in all black robes, not a hint of jewelry or color lightening his presence. It was like asking Death himself for permission to visit with the king.
The Sunken Tower: The Dragonspire Chronicles Book 5 Page 4