The Stewards of Reed, Volume 1: The Rise of Fallon

by Wark, RM

  As Fallon closed the door behind him and headed out into the night air towards Steward Isaiah’s house, the Elders turned their attention towards Isaiah. They knew that the Steward was going to provide an update on Fallon and his progress, and this was the reason the boy was asked to leave.

  “How is he doing?” asked Elder Anne.

  “He is a good student,” replied Isaiah. “Very well-read – as we saw tonight – and a good problem solver. He is a quick study…of most things anyway. He does not have much skill when it comes to weapons. But I must say that so far, I do not see anything in Fallon that gives me cause for concern.”

  “Has he had any more dreams?” inquired Elder Lydia. At the previous meeting Steward Isaiah had filled them in on Fallon’s dream about the fire.

  “No. Not that he has mentioned, anyway.”

  “Where is that messenger that we sent to Lady Dinah?” asked Elder Peter. “I would have expected him to be back by now.”

  “I am certain he shall be here soon. I do not imagine it is an easy journey to and from Mt. Xavier,” replied the Steward.

  And with that the meeting concluded, and each of the Elders went off to their respective homes. As he walked along the same path that Fallon had taken just a few minutes earlier, Steward Isaiah found himself thinking a familiar question. Where is the boy? Though of course now he was speaking of Gentry.

  *************

  It had not taken long to find the small cabin in the forest, the one that the rumors had spoken of, the rumors that had set them on their quest.

  “But it is empty, my lord,” Wendell protested, looking in the window.

  “It is not. She was here recently, I can feel the remnants of her presence. No doubt she shall be back soon, and you shall be waiting for her.”

  “Aye, my lord.”

  “Are you ready?”

  Wendell gave a fearful glance to the potion held out in Lord Cephas’s hand and closed his eyes. “Aye, my lord.”

  “Then drink. A deep sleep shall take hold in a while, but she shall be able to revive you.”

  “And if she is not able?” Wendell asked in a small voice.

  “Then she is no wizard.”

  “But is that not what they say in jest about her?” There was now panic in the servant’s voice. “Perhaps she does not have any wizarding skill. Perhaps she shall leave me to die!”

  “Enough!” Lord Cephas glared at Wendell. “Would you rather I take you home to live in the misery that has been our world since you were a child? Would you rather the suffering of our people to continue?”

  “No, my lord,” replied Wendell, his voice once again small.

  “Then you must do this.”

  “Aye, my lord.”

  Lord Cephas watched as his faithful servant swallowed the potion. “I must leave before I am discovered,” he said. “I shall return for you in the fall, before the first of the snows touch the ground.”

  “Aye, my lord.”

  Wendell’s head grew dizzy and his eyes grew heavy. He lay down in front of the cabin door, curled up in a fetal position, and fell asleep.

  CHAPTER NINE

  The Journey Home

  When he awoke, he found himself in a white room, with bare white walls, white furniture, white sheets and heavy white blankets all around him. He was dizzy and weak and confused. He remembered seeing an old woman smile at him, but everything faded to black again.

  It would be a few more days before Gentry finally regained enough consciousness to start talking. “Where am I?” he asked the old woman seated next to him, holding a warm cloth that she had been using to wipe his face.

  But the old woman did not answer his question. “I shall find the Lady,” she said. As she stood up to walk out of the room, Gentry was surprised at her short stature. She was a dwarf of course, but Gentry had never seen anyone like her before.

  A few minutes later the old woman reappeared with a beautiful lady dressed in a flowing white gown with long black hair and eyes as black as coal. Though he had never seen her before, he knew at once it was Lady Dinah.

  “My lady,” he said, trying to sit up in bed for a more proper greeting.

  “Please, no need to rise on my account. You are still weak and must rest,” she said.

  Gentry frowned, but fell slowly back into the comfortable pillows behind him. “How is it that I am here, my lady?” he asked.

  “My helpers found you on the trail and brought you here,” she replied.

  “The trail…it kept going in circles…I could not find you.” Gentry’s mind was still a bit hazy but the feeling of being hopelessly lost still haunted him.

  “You would not have found me at all if you had not mentioned Steward Isaiah’s name,” she admonished. “I must be careful about whom I allow to my castle here on the mountain – especially after the Second War. I was prepared to let you die,” she added ominously, her voice cold and disapproving.

  “I meant you no harm, my lady,” Gentry started to say.

  “Yet you carry a bow and arrow…and a knife,” she countered.

  “For the wild animals, not you,” he explained.

  The wizard said nothing.

  “How did you know I was on the mountain?” Gentry asked, trying to recall if he had seen any birds or other possible spies during his hike.

  “Otto is a friend of mine. He warned me about you. Or rather, Max did.”

  Gentry vaguely remembered the grey bird that sat on Otto’s shoulder.

  “For future reference, there are no wild animals on Mt. Xavier – at least none that might do harm – and you shall find a much more welcoming reception if you come announced and unarmed.”

  “Aye, my lady.” Gentry lowered his gaze like a reprimanded child.

  Lady Dinah observed her guest for some time before speaking again. “Why did you come in search of me?” she asked.

  “I--I have a message for you,” he replied. At that moment he became keenly aware of the fact that he was naked beneath the sheets and that the message he had carried all this while was no longer in his possession. Panic set in as he looked around the room and failed to see any of his belongings.

  “Well, what is it?” Lady Dinah asked, somewhat impatiently.

  “It is a message from Steward Isaiah. It was in a bronze tube, with the rest of my belongings, wherever they might be now.”

  Lady Dinah frowned in annoyance. “Abigail, please see that the guest’s belongings are brought to the room,” the wizard said with a sigh, turning to the old woman. She watched as Abigail left the room and then turned her attention back to Gentry. “It would be helpful to know with whom I am speaking. Have you a name?”

  “Gentry, my lady. Son of Hammond of Reed.”

  She seemed to make a mental note of his name but said no more. As they waited for Abigail to return, Gentry’s thoughts turned towards his family, his journey and everything that had transpired. “For how long have I been here, my lady?” he asked finally.

  “You have been under Abigail’s careful watch for more than three days now,” replied the wizard. “You were quite frozen and weak when my helpers found you.”

  Three days! That meant he had left Yukon nine days ago. He was way behind schedule; his father would not be pleased. Then he remembered Casper. Gentry had only paid for ten days of boarding for his horse. What if Otto sold him?

  Lady Dinah could see Gentry was troubled. “Is something wrong?”

  “My horse. I had to leave him in Yukon with Otto, but I fear I did not pay for sufficient boarding. I had not planned to be gone for so long….” Gentry’s voice trailed off.

  “I see,” she said. “Well, I have not yet sent Max back to Yukon; I was waiting for you to regain consciousness. I shall send a message to Otto asking that he continue to board your horse for a little while longer. You must pay him of course.”

  A wave of relief passed over Gentry. “Aye. Thank you, my lady.”

  Abigail finally returned to the room. Behind her
was another dwarf, this time a man, dragging Gentry’s belongings behind him. The man turned to Gentry, awaiting further instruction.

  “I shall need my coat,” Gentry said. “If you would not mind bringing the bag over to me, I would appreciate it. The bag is nearly your size. I hope it is not too heavy for you to lift.”

  A flash of anger appeared on the man’s face and the look of disapproval from Lady Dinah and Abigail was undeniable.

  Gentry regretted his words immediately. “I am sorry, I did not mean to imply…” he started to say, but the damage had already been done.

  “I can lift your bag and ten others just like it,” the man grumbled, as he threw the bag with surprising force at Gentry. The dwarf turned towards Lady Dinah, nodded his head at her and abruptly left the room.

  Gentry opened the bag and pulled out his coat, which was still cold and damp. He fished around the inside pockets until he found the bronze tube. “For you, my lady,” he said as he held it out for the wizard.

  Lady Dinah took hold of the tube and nodded her head at Gentry. She started to leave but stopped at the door and looked back at him. “You shall be better served if you show my helpers more respect and watch that careless tongue of yours.” She was gone before Gentry could even respond.

  Gentry turned towards the old woman. “I am terribly sorry,” he said, “I did not mean any offense…I just…well, I have never seen anyone like you before.”

  Abigail could tell Gentry was genuinely sorry for his comment and that he did not mean anything by it. “Are you hungry?” she asked, changing the subject.

  At that point Gentry realized he was famished. It had been four days since he had anything to eat. “Aye, I am.”

  The old woman smiled. “I shall bring you some bread then. It is best to eat slowly after going so long without, though.”

  The small plate of warm bread Abigail brought back on a stark white plate was the best thing that Gentry had ever tasted in his life.

  *************

  Over the next few days Abigail nursed Gentry until he fully regained his strength. She was quite shocked at the amount of food that Gentry could consume in a single sitting, but she was happy at her patient’s vast improvement. His easygoing and jovial manner soon won her over and his prior transgression of thoughtless words had long been forgotten.

  Gentry could not see much from the windows in his room, just wisps of white with the occasional glimpse of rugged purple mountain. The castle must be above the clouds, he thought. No wonder I could not find it.

  He had not seen Lady Dinah for several days and was starting to grow impatient with his confinement. Gentry had only recently managed to persuade Abigail to let him leave his room. “How shall I ever make my way back down the mountain if all my muscles shrivel away from lack of use?” he had pleaded.

  Abigail had frowned at the request. “If I permit you to take leave of your room, you must stick to the east wing only,” she warned.

  It had been clear from her face that she was uneasy about the arrangement, so Gentry took care not to venture into any unapproved areas. He did not want to risk angering Lady Dinah – who already seemed to have an unfavorable opinion of him – but more importantly he did not want to cause any trouble for Abigail.

  The castle (at least what he was able to see of it) was spectacular, yet odd. In the east wing alone there were at least nine other bedrooms similar to his, two or three sitting rooms, a large dining hall, an entertainment hall and a kitchen. Though beautifully decorated, all of these rooms were as stark white as his own. It was as if Lady Dinah was afraid of color. He saw several of Lady Dinah’s “helpers” during his walks around the east wing; all of them were dwarves. The shock of seeing such little people had finally worn off, but he still found it curious.

  As he wandered the halls of white, he could not help but think how close he came to dying upon the purple mountain. It unnerved him, and that was not easily done. I need to get home. They are all counting on me – the Steward, the Elders my father, the boy. He stopped to stare out a large pane-glass window overlooking a beautiful mountain garden with orchids and other wildflowers he did not recognize. The sky was aglow with the colors of a setting sun. I have been given another chance at life, he thought. I shall not fail them. And I made a promise to Luca. I need to get home.

  “Abigail?” he ventured one afternoon as they sipped on some tea and nibbled on biscuits.

  “Aye, Gentry?”

  “Have you heard anything from Lady Dinah? As much as I adore your company, I am eager to return home.”

  The old woman smiled, though there was a touch of sadness in her expression. She knew Gentry could not stay there forever, but she had quite enjoyed these past few days. “She has asked not to be disturbed, so I have not seen her for some time. But I am certain the Lady shall come to see you when she is ready.” Seeing that her answer did not quite satisfy Gentry, she added, “It should not be too much longer. Lady Dinah is not one to keep houseguests for long. She values her privacy.”

  “Thank you, Abigail,” Gentry said with a smile. There was a brief pause in the conversation before he spoke again. “May I ask how you and all the other helpers came to work for Lady Dinah?”

  The old woman’s face grew sad and he immediately regretted the question.

  “You do not need to tell me. I was only curious,” he said quickly.

  “No, it is all right,” she said, patting his hand. “My parents abandoned me when it was clear I would never be a normal little girl. Lady Dinah is my family now. She took me in, she took all of us in, when no one else wanted us. I suppose she sees value in us that others do not. We are all eternally grateful to her for that. So we help her, and she helps us. Without her, I would not be alive today, talking to you.” Abigail smiled at Gentry and then proceeded to clear the remnants of their tea time from the small table.

  *************

  Gentry had just finished eating his breakfast and was contemplating another walk along the corridor of the east wing when he saw Lady Dinah standing at his doorway.

  “May I come in?” she asked.

  Gentry immediately rose from his seat and gave a low bow. “As you please, my lady.”

  “I see that your strength has returned, as has your color,” she observed.

  “Aye, my lady. Abigail has been taking very good care of me.”

  The old woman, who had been clearing away the breakfast dishes when Lady Dinah arrived, blushed at the unexpected compliment.

  “Abigail, would you mind fetching Gordon, please?”

  “Aye, my lady.”

  Lady Dinah watched as Abigail left the room and turned her attention back to Gentry. “I have a message for Steward Isaiah,” she said while pulling out a bronze tube that had been concealed in her sleeve.

  Gentry observed that the tube now bore a new seal. It appeared to be an image of Mt. Xavier with an ornate letter “D” overlaying it.

  Lady Dinah noticed Gentry’s interest in the seal and seemed to mistake it for interest in the message. “I should tell you that I have put a spell on this vessel. Only Steward Isaiah’s hands have the strength to open it, and only Steward Isaiah’s eyes have the clarity to read what is inside.”

  “Aye, my Lady,” said Gentry as he quickly put the tube into his coat pocket.

  The awkward conversation was thankfully brought to an end by the arrival of Abigail and Gordon. To Gentry’s dismay, he saw that Gordon was the same person he had offended a few days prior with his careless words. Gordon did not look too pleased to be there either.

  “Ah, Gordon. Our guest shall be taking leave of us now. Please help him with his belongings and make certain he does not become lost on his way back to Yukon.”

  “Aye, my lady,” replied the grumpy man.

  As much as Gentry was not looking forward to spending time with Gordon, he was excited by the thought of finally heading home. A part of him was also relieved to have a guide down the mountain. He had no interest in becoming los
t on those confusing trails again.

  Looking somewhat sad, Abigail excused herself, saying, “I shall be back shortly with some food for your trip.”

  “I must also be going,” said Lady Dinah. “Good luck on your journey home. I suspect you shall need it.”

  “Thank you, my lady,” said Gentry bowing low, and with that the wizard left the room.

  Gordon stood in the corner with his arms folded across his chest. It was clear he was in no mood for conversation so Gentry quietly packed up his belongings.

  Abigail soon returned with a basket full of food. Gentry could see the steam rising from what he assumed was freshly baked bread. “Thank you, Abigail – for everything,” he said.

  The old woman blushed again. “I must admit I am sorry to see you go. I hope you shall come by to visit again someday, though I know this is far from your home.”

  “I would love to come see you again, Abigail. Take care now.” Gentry bent down upon his knee and gave the old woman a big hug and his best smile.

  Gordon had picked up Gentry’s bag and was already heading out the door, so Gentry waved a last good-bye to Abigail and hurried after the dwarf.

  Having been detained in Lady Dinah’s stark but warm castle for several days, Gentry was not prepared for the bitter cold wind that greeted them as they stepped outside. He stopped in his tracks, but not for long. For a little person – or a normal-sized person for that matter – Gordon could walk quite fast. Gentry hurried after him again and did his best to stay close by as they hiked down a winding trail. For the next two hours, not a word was spoken between Gentry and Gordon. At last they arrived at a clearing, the place with the three-way split that had caused Gentry so much grief.

  “Take that path down,” said Gordon, pointing to the only path leading downslope. “Try not the venture off the path. I do not think the Lady would be too keen on rescuing you again.”

  “Thank you, Gordon. And for what it is worth, I am truly sorry,” replied Gentry.