The Alterator's Light

by Dan Brigman

  Valen brushed the memories away as he stepped in front of the multi-paned window facing northward. Frost coated much of the window’s outer edges, but enough viewable space remained for him to look down from the third story. The view provided him with a grand sight of the northern part of town; his manor held the status of the tallest building in the small community, as decreed by Valen’s family during the town’s founding. Valen always enjoyed looking over his home, despite the nagging bit of knowledge that the town’s current stability was tenuous at best. The steadiness of the province itself is wavering.

  Snow remained in the shadows of buildings that never saw the full light of the sun, even as the days passed closer to spring. Past the town’s surrounding stone wall, empty farmland swept northward. The forest at the edge of the surrounding farmland showed no signs of life. A mass of brown and gray color, the forest filled Valen’s vision until it met the mountains to the west. A layer of clouds, ever-present over the peaks, poured a blizzard upon the present snow layer. He had watched the storm for several days and noticed it finally seemed to be shifting, but not in the direction he hoped for. South by southwest had been the wind’s tireless direction for the past several days, but now the wind had suddenly shifted due east, directly into the heart of Valen’s lands.

  I suppose I must make preparations for the storm. The thought of sitting for several more hours at his desk did not particularly excite the Lord Mayor. Without looking back at his desk, he could imagine the existent paperwork would take him hours to complete. Sighing heavily, he turned to go back to his work, but a strange sight caught his attention.

  Two figures, stopped at the gate by the guards, stood rigidly despite the guards’ efforts to move them along. Valen had given strict instructions to his secretary and majordomo not to be disturbed while he worked on the necessary, yet seemingly endless, piles of paperwork. Despite his need to resume the work, Valen could not take his eyes from the two figures. He could make out little of their appearances from this distance, especially the tall, cloaked figure, yet strangely, the woman held his eye.

  Suddenly, she looked upward at the window Valen peered through, and he instantly recognized her. Saen Lorst! His breath caught as confusion instantly swiped away thoughts of preparations or paperwork; Valen could not help but stare at the woman. He had not seen her since the previous summer when she vouched for the local Alterator’s whereabouts. The man’s actions had become questionable over the past few years, and an altercation between him and a guardsman had been brought to Valen’s consideration. She had claimed that the guardsman left her establishment drunk and the Alterator had assisted the man home. While all parties involved found that act commendable, the fact that the captain of the guard found the guardsman dead in his flat the next morning overshadowed the altruism of the Alterator. The murder remained unsolved and many people still believed Einar Amakiir had somehow flaunted the law. Time and Valen’s words had smoothed over some of the suspicion, yet Valen witnessed first-hand the disrespect delivered to the Alterator.

  Valen focused downward again and shock arrested any other thoughts resurfacing from the particularly nasty event. The guards were not shooing the two people away, as Valen expected; rather, one guard actually held the gate open and let them walk through unhindered. Saen looked up again at the window and waved. Waved! Those guards are going to get the sharp edge of my tongue, Valen thought as he broke his stare and sat back down at the desk.

  Now that they passed through the gate, Valen’s majordomo would not question their appearance when he answered the door. Josef remained loyal to Valen’s wishes, but he trusted the guards to a fault. Minutes later, in the middle of sorting a stack of queries concerning land acquisition, Valen heard a sharp rap on the plain wooden door. Sighing again, he lifted the stack of papers with both hands. Using the bottom edge of the stack, he evened the stack out and laid it carefully on the right side of the desktop. I’ve made them wait long enough, he thought before exclaiming, “Come in.”

  The door opened slowly and Josef, clothed in his normal dress of brown trousers and a faded green tunic, moved hesitantly, with his eyes on the floor, to one of the chairs opposite the desk. Grasping the back of the wooden chair, the man seemed to be searching for the correct words. Valen crossed his fingers in his lap and sat back in the chair. While he remained stern with his servants for backsliding, Valen relaxed around Josef’s usual nervousness. When the deep green fringes of Josef’s sleeves began to tremble, Valen’s lips curled into a smirk that disappeared when the man inhaled deeply and finally looked up at the Lord Mayor.

  “M’lord, pardon me. A situation has arisen I deemed necessary to bring to your attention despite your orders.” Josef paused, still facing Valen. The majordomo’s clean-shaven face, still handsome into his middle-years, held few wrinkles, and those had formed over the years from constant worry, no matter how much Valen reminded the man of his excellent performance on his staff.

  “What’s so important that you must distract me?”

  Swallowing, Josef answered, “M’lord, the inn-keeper, Saen Lorst, requests an audience with you. She was very insistent she speak with you as soon as possible. She did not explain herself, except to mention she has information of utmost importance.”

  “And, who, may I ask, is accompanying her?”

  Josef’s face visibly paled. The look of complete shock which passed over his face brought a chuckle to Valen’s lips. Taking the laughter for derision, Josef’s tautness, if possible, became severe. The man’s eyes turned downward again, after he glanced at the window that Valen had stood at not five minutes ago.

  “What is it, man? I can’t sit here all day waiting for you to answer my questions,” Valen spoke in gentle tones. He sighed when the majordomo released a held breath before speaking.

  “The person accompanying Ms. Lorst is Einar Amakiir.” Upon speaking the name, Valen erupted from his seat and Josef flinched backward, expecting a tongue-lashing.

  Initially, rage threatened to erase the reason Valen was widely known for throughout the land. The thought of Einar and Saen’s behavior threatened to unhinge his mind. The prominent innkeeper had stayed away from all town meetings in which Valen would be in attendance, and she made it a point of crossing the street upon seeing Valen walking in her direction.

  Amakiir’s behavior did not improve the situation. When Valen requested something out of the man, Amakiir mumbled incoherent phrases and did not meet Valen’s eyes when speaking. Despite Valen’s best efforts to help the town’s Alterator, Amakiir did nothing but show apathy rather than gratitude. Never mind all that, Valen thought begrudgingly. At least I can finally talk to the both of them. And together.

  Valen’s vision refocused upon Josef, who stood gaping behind the chair. The man had apparently believed he would need to shield himself, as his staring eyes peaked over the top of the chair’s back. The man stared, not at Valen’s face, but at the top of the desk. At some point Valen had slammed his left fist into the desktop, and the sudden pain sobered him. He lifted his hand and rubbed it to ease some of the throbbing pain away. At least I can funnel my anger into my hand instead of those who will be standing before me.

  “Josef, bring them in here,” Valen said, speaking each word through gritted teeth.

  “Yes, M’lord,” Josef responded before he scurried over to the door, opened it, and exited the room. Within a few breaths the door reopened, and the majordomo bowed until his eyes could not be seen by Valen. “M’lord, may I present Ms. Lorst and Master Amakiir.”

  Returning to his full height, Josef stared straight ahead while waiting for some sign to leave. Saen stood with a furrowed brow, which Valen could not recall ever seeing before. Einar entered with his hood still pulled up around his head, shadowing his face. Valen stared into Saen’s gray eyes as he flicked his wrist almost imperceptibly. Josef did not wait another instant before uttering, “M’lord, if you need anything, then do not hesitate in ringing for me.”

  He quickl
y brushed through the gap between the two people standing behind him and departed the room. As the door clicked shut, Valen noticed a startled look in Saen’s gray eyes as she stared at the door.

  Still sitting, Valen said, “I must say I’m surprised to see you two in my office. Especially considering that neither of you has given any forethought to decorum with entry into my presence.” With each word Valen’s voice grew in pitch until hot anger seethed in the room’s air. Calm yourself. Hear them out, Valen thought.

  “Many apologies, good sir,” issued from the person hidden by the cloak. The deep baritone of Amakiir’s voice had not changed in the months since Valen had last heard it, but a hint of tension, barely restrained, had surfaced. The apology sounded sincere and not the least bit resentful. The man’s hands reached up to pull the dark hood back from his head, and he continued, “I hope you can forgive my forgetfulness and allow me to inform you of some information that I—" He paused momentarily and looked at Saen. She grabbed his arm encouragingly, and a slight smile passed her lips. “No, information we think is vital to your cause.” Taking his deep brown eyes from Saen’s, Einar turned to Valen. The man appeared to have aged five years since Valen had last seen him. “We have come to ask your advice, Valen.”

  “And what act of the Ancients changed your minds so you would think of me in such favorable terms?” While Valen disliked the common use of sarcasm in his official relations since it tended to enflame sensitive situations, he could not help himself. Besides, the mere reality of their presence before him softened his initial anger. I must gather my thoughts. I must forgive their misdeeds.

  “It’s nothing like that, Valen,” Saen replied plainly. It was the first time Saen had spoken, and her hands belied the words. She was wringing her hands and had not stopped since the mention of the word Ancients.

  “By all means, then, Enlighten me,” Valen stated, as he waved his hands toward the two simple chairs in front of his desk. Saen’s and Einar’s faces immediately relaxed. They lost any of the ill-placed feelings they had carried into the office. I’m always amazed when my people realize they do not need to hide anything. Anything said in his presence would remain only in his memories after the meeting. Upon speaking the word “Enlighten” Valen remained forever bound to hold the words spoken only in his mind. “I don’t have time for idle chat or misplaced trust. You came to me despite any previous actions, so you must feel that you can trust only me. Is my thinking correct so far?” Both seated figures nodded simultaneously. “Good. Then begin when you’re ready.”

  Einar licked his dry lips, looked into Valen’s eyes, and replied, “Valen. First, I apologize for not coming to you sooner. I cannot express the appreciation I feel for your vouchsafing of my presence in this community, but I felt the need to separate myself from your protective words.” Valen opened his mouth to respond, but Einar raised a hand to forestall him. “I could not let your reputation and honor suffer from defending me. The falsehoods still haunting me were nothing that you could completely cure. My reputation will always precede me in this town. Nonetheless, I must simply thank you for speaking on my behalf. It protected my family’s and my livelihood.” He sighed heavily upon finishing, and to Valen’s eyes it seemed a burdensome weight had been removed from the man’s shoulders.

  “Einar, next time you must let me act as I please. I was elected Lord Mayor of this area for a reason, and when my Alterator thinks he knows his Lord’s mind, terrible lessons must be learned.” Valen spoke without anger. Concern softened wrinkles on Valen’s brow enough that Einar sat back in the chair. The initial frustration which had swept across Einar’s face became curiosity. Their eyes locked momentarily as previous discussions of an ancient rune caster upsetting her lord came flooding back into their minds.

  “As you wish, M’lord,” Einar replied, nodding in acquiescence.

  “Now, what’s so important?” Valen asked with a hint of interest in his voice.

  “Valen, Einar was propositioned by a Blighter,” Saen blurted out. “He came to Einar yesterday evening.”

  “And you have waited this long to report it?” Valen shouted. Any thoughts of withholding his anger, and the pain in his hand, dissipated with the mention of such a foul creature. “I thought you understood my position on Blighters and their presence in this province.” The statement carried undertones of a threat to Einar’s ears, but his shocked face failed to stifle Valen’s anger. Valen lifted a finger to point at Einar. “Einar, you better have a good reason for committing treason to the Province of Sacclon.”

  Valen’s gaze had been fixated on Einar until a sharp intake of breath came from Saen when the word treason filled the room. The woman’s face contorted with obvious dread and her hands clenched the chair’s armrests. Valen noticed most of the color had drained from the two figures sitting opposite him. Through his anger, reason bled through as Valen thought, They could not have possibly forgotten this tenet, could they?

  Einar ever-so-slowly closed his mouth, which had opened from the initial shock, yet Valen could see that the blank, forlorn stare had immediately disappeared to be replaced with the vast intelligence for which Einar was credited. One of the only good attributes that he is known for. Too bad the many others are not known. Outwardly, Valen seethed in apparent anger. His breathing had escalated, and he sat on the edge of his seat seemingly blind with murderous intent. His hands gripped the edge of the desk, in an effort to hold himself back. Inwardly, though, Valen remained as calm as always, since he had learned long ago that emotions running amok ruined many peoples’ lives. This unnerved most people, since they could not anticipate his next action depending on the temperament he currently held.

  “By the Ancients, I am sorry, Valen,” Einar began, nearly spurting the words out. “Another event happened which seems to have caused my mind to be elsewhere. I can only explain.”

  “What do you mean explain?” Valen asked. This time all the ire had dwindled to a near whisper. “How do you explain not doing your duty as the town’s Alterator?” Valen noticed from his pleasant calm that Einar’s eyes now flared in anger. Good. Let us see what you have to say.

  Einar jumped to his feet and leaned over the desktop. “I have not been an Alterator in this town for many years. I have not been allowed to do my duty for so long that when my wife and children have left me assumedly on the very day a Blighter infiltrates the town I am sworn to protect, I am criticized for not doing my duty.” The last word rang out in pure disgust. To accentuate the point, Einar turned to spit upon the floor of the chamber before reclaiming his seat.

  Valen had watched Saen silently from the corner of his eye, as Einar spoke. He could see in her eyes a love and respect which only deep, true friendship could hold. Sighing silently, Valen thought, You will need her, my friend, with all you are going to encounter. Einar bent over to put his face into his hands. The man began trembling, and Saen placed her hand upon his back in a comforting gesture. She turned to face Valen, and if the stare she gave him matched her will, he would have been nothing more than a pile of dust. Valen responded simply by shrugging his shoulders and arching his left eyebrow, as if harmlessly asking, What did I do? The stare became so withering, Valen felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of his face. He turned his eyes downward from that glare and wondered, Why is that woman the only person who has this effect upon me?

  Waiting a few moments for the man to compose himself, Valen looked upward and coughed gently. “I suppose I must extend my apologies, Master Amakiir. I had no idea Ellia and the children had left your home.”

  Valen paused as Einar moved back from his bent position to sit straight in the chair. The shed tears had streaked down Einar’s face through a layer of dust that Valen had not previously noticed. The man’s eyes held a vacant stare, and he proffered no reply. After a few breaths, Valen said the man’s name to get his attention. Immediately, Einar slightly shook his head and focused on Valen. Seeing that Valen had the man’s attention, he asked, in gentle tones, “Perh
aps you can explain what has happened?”

  Einar glanced at Saen, and she nodded encouragingly for him to start. For the next hour the Alterator told the story of the past few months up to the point when he entered the inn earlier that same day. Josef had knocked only once midway through the tale to ensure Valen’s visitors were satisfied. Valen ordered drinks for the three of them, and within a few moments Einar wetted his parched tongue. By the end, Einar’s voice had broken several times, and it took on the huskiness of someone who had not spoken that much in many years.

  Taking a sip from his wooden cup, Valen stood and moved to the window. He glanced back at the mountains in the distance and noticed with a grimace the storm pressing eastward. Finally, Valen broke the silence. “Your story sounds nearly unbelievable in its dreadfulness. You’ll pardon me if I must sort through all you have related to me.”

  Without hesitating, Einar replied, “Yes, now that I’ve spoken all the details aloud, it sounds unbelievable even to my ears. I’m not sure anyone can truly understand the plight that I’ve gone through.”

  “Einar, I would have to agree,” Valen replied, sympathy filling his voice. “I do not envy your current state of mind.”

  “I’m sorry for what you have gone through, my friend. I should’ve seen what you were dealing with. I should’ve been a better friend,” Saen stated. She sniffed; Valen could hear her dress rustling as if she were searching for something. Suddenly, the sound of a nose being blown reached Valen’s ears.