“Domnall?” Toby cringed at the obvious effort required for each of the Ryhain’s breaths. “What happened to you?” The frail old man coughed, and spittle flew from his shriveled lips as he fought to bring an arm out from under the blankets. When he managed, he crooked one finger and indicated he wanted Toby to come closer. Toby called out into the hallway for a healer and then approached the man’s bed. The sound that wheezed pathetically from the Ryhain when Toby leaned his ear closer was barely audible.
“I have been a fool.” Toby could hear Domnall’s lungs crackling as he forced air in and out of his chest. “I was arrogant and proud. I placed my own greed before the well-being of my people, and I shall pay for the mistake with my death.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I was promised power and wealth, if I would only follow orders and bow down to my superior. I should have considered what it would lead to. I should have known that he was using me for his own aims.”
“Who was using you?” Toby tried to piece Domnall’s words into something he could make sense out of.
“I thought if I could just win him over and please him, he would fulfill all of his promises. I could have made our city the grandest in the realm. I could have saved them all.”
Toby grabbed the sick man’s shoulders and shook him gently, disturbed by the unfocused look in his eyes. “Domnall!” Toby lowered his voice as the man finally roused and made eye contact. “What are you talking about?” Toby released him quickly and took a step back as Ryhain Domnall began sobbing uncontrollably.
“He is evil, Toby.” He broke into a fit of laughter as he tried to hold back the wracking sobs. “He promised me so much, but I should have just died in the palace for what I have done.” Realization finally struck and Toby took several steps back from the man he had served loyally for half of his life.
“You knew.” The old man squeezed his eyes closed tightly, unable to acknowledge his sins aloud. “You knew what Dredek was doing. You knew about the recruits, and what they were being taken for, didn’t you?” Domnall nodded almost imperceptibly. “You knew what was happening at Braya?” Another nod. Toby glared down at a man he no longer felt he knew. His voice was cold and quiet as he addressed the sickly, tear streaked face of his superior. “Did you know about the attack on the Ratification Ceremony?” The man’s eyes went wide and he shook his head in denial as another fit of coughing stole over him. When the coughing quieted, he looked up at Toby with pleading eyes.
“He is evil. He has done things no man should ever be capable of doing. I should have killed him rather than acquiesce to him.” He coughed again and blood specks adorned his blankets. “You have no idea what he is capable of.”
“I think we have a good idea. He is willing to start a war for the pleasure of seeing thousands die!” Ryhain Domnall shook his head vehemently.
“If only that were his motivation, we could kill him and end it.” A much longer fit of coughing shook his frail body and he struggled to fill his lungs with air. “It is much worse than you think.”
“How can it be worse?” The old man’s lips were cast with a blue tinge, and he wheezed as he gasped for breath. “Domnall?” The Ryhain’s eyes were wide and frightened as he fought for air. Toby rushed into the hall, screaming for a healer. Distant footsteps echoed in the hallway, and finally the palace’s resident healer rounded the corner and hurried into the room. “Why hasn’t he been treated?”
“Sir, I wasn’t informed of his condition.” Toby was furious, but he realized that the Ryhain was riddled by guilt and it was possible he wanted to die. That would explain the state of his chamber as well. Perhaps Domnall had forbidden anyone to enter his rooms, hoping that he would succumb to his injuries and illness. Toby couldn’t blame him. If he had betrayed everyone who had ever trusted and depended on him, he would want to die as well.
Toby stood against the far wall as the healer attempted to ease the Ryhain’s illness, but it did not seem to be going well. After several moments of tense expectation, the healer stood and turned to Toby.
“Had I been notified yesterday, perhaps I could have saved him.” The healer held his hands out in apology for his failure. Toby nodded and turned to leave the room. “Wait,” Toby looked back, “he asked me to tell you something.”
“Well what is it?” Toby asked, hoping the Ryhain had divulged more information about Dredek that would serve them well against him.
“He asked for your forgiveness, and he said ‘he’s searching for water.’” Confusion flitted across Toby’s features, and he nodded at the healer.
“Thank you. I will inform the council that the Ryhain is dead.” Toby stepped out into the hall, puzzling over the cryptic message from a dying man’s lips.
*
“He is searching for water?” Osric questioned Toby as they walked to the gathering dressed in their finest clothes. Hundreds of people, and many different creatures of Stanton, were milling toward the palace grounds. All of Stanton’s inhabitants felt a great deal of sorrow over the loss of their leader, and many eyes glistened with tears. Osric and Toby could not allow themselves to be distracted from their search for answers, but they kept their voices quiet as they conversed.
“Those were his words,” Toby answered, “and he asked me to forgive him.”
“At least he gave us some information to use.” Osric studied Toby’s face as they walked. “What do you think it means?” he inquired.
“I have no idea.” Toby shrugged in frustration. “It was probably just the confused rattlings of a dying, old man.”
“Maybe, maybe not. I would like to get the input of Gus and Machai. Maybe we can come up with something if we all put our heads together.”
“Yeah, maybe.” Toby didn’t sound convinced. “And maybe I’ll forgive him for being a pawn of Konsult Dredek.” Osric smiled at the sarcastic remark.
“I never thought he would give up his honor for power. What do you think Dredek offered him?”
“Who knows? He mentioned power and wealth, but he seemed convinced that if Dredek had delivered on his promises it would have been good for the people of Stanton.”
“Sometimes one bad choice doesn’t seem so bad until it is too late. Maybe he had a string of choices that seemed reasonable?” Osric desperately wanted to give some semblance of reason to the betrayal of a man he had trusted.
“I guess so. I am sure in the beginning he meant well, but how could he think that his actions were benevolent?” Toby sighed in frustration. “He participated in the imprisonment of the dragons. For all I know, he was lying about not knowing about the attack on the palace.”
“We may never know what led him there,” Osric put a hand on Toby’s shoulder as they approached the palace grounds, “but hardening our hearts and refusing to forgive a man who is dead may lead to our own regrets. Besides, if Domnall had known about the attack, he wouldn’t have been in the palace for the ceremony.”
“Yeah, you’re right.” Toby ended the conversation without further argument as they came to a stop in a massive crowd. “Let’s get to our posts and we can discuss this more later.” Osric nodded and they split up to patrol the crowd. Although the Vigiles had been disbanded, they had not abandoned their duty. Osric acknowledged several of his men making their rounds as the ceremony began.
The traditional burial of a high ranking member of human society was one of the rare times death was honored outside of the hunt. As far as anyone knew, Ryhain Domnall had served his people loyally to the end. He would be remembered as a great leader, an excellent soldier, and a compassionate man. The head of the council gave an eloquent speech, and there were few dry eyes in the crowd as Ryhain Domnall’s body was lowered into the ground and a large stone marker was levitated to cover his resting place. The councilman called for a moment of silence, and then he cleared his throat to make an announcement.
“People of Stanton, in the past week we have seen death and devastation on our doorstep as war has ravaged our cit
y. It was only one battle, but it was perhaps the first of many. Our Ryhain is dead, succumbed to his wounds from an act of violence our city may never fully recover from. When the palace was attacked, we as a people were attacked. We must rise up and defend ourselves, but we cannot be effective if we are lost and leaderless. We need strength, loyalty, honor, and experience to guide us. We need someone who has the ability to defend us when horrors come to call upon us. Many of you fought to protect our city and our people when the Kallegians attacked, but one man ended that battle. Many of you assisted in organizing the battle plan, but one man led you in your organization. Many of you have experience in fighting for our home, but one man has experience in giving you the orders to do so. We need a Ryhain such as this man.” The crowd roared their approval for the passionate speech, and the councilman had to raise his hands and call for them to quiet down.
Toby caught Osric’s eye and pointed a finger at him through the crowd. He was too far for Osric to hear him, but his lips clearly formed the words, “it’s you.” Osric cringed and glanced back up at the platform where the councilman was standing to address the crowd. The councilman began again.
“I think we are all of one mind on who we want as our leader.” It began softly and sporadically, but soon the entire crowd had picked up the chant. “Osric, Osric, Osric, Osric…”
At first, he was stunned. Osric was still getting used to the idea of everyone knowing his name, but he had not expected to ever hear a crowd chanting it. As the initial shock wore off, he became annoyed by the attention. Finally, he pushed his way through the crowd to the raised platform, and he was greeted with loud cheering. He stared out over the crowd, waiting for them to quiet and trying to think of what to say. Osric had no desire to be Ryhain, but the adoration of the crowd filled him with a rush unlike any he had felt before. As he gazed out at the gathered masses, the urgency of the impending war pressed in on him. He did have a responsibility to these people, but not as their Ryhain. He was their Contege. It was his job to keep them safe from people who had no respect for their lives, for their safety. It was his job to find the bad guy, to lock him up or kill him if necessary, to guarantee the well-being of the people of Stanton.
Osric studied the podium as he continued to think. He had never been behind one before. In fact, he had never spoken to a group larger than a few dozen recruits. He could see that the podium was designed and spelled to project the speaker’s voice out into the crowd. There were so many things he wanted to learn, and so many magical secrets he had not had the opportunity to study. Being Ryhain would lessen his chances of stopping the war. He would be tied to a velvet upholstered chair by diplomacy and wax seals. He may never have the chance to find out what was going on with his abilities or discover new methods of magic. He wanted a place to learn, a place he could study with those who wished to unravel the secrets of Archana’s magic. He wanted to end the war so he could live out his days with Bridgett, well into old age. Yet, he did need someone he could trust holding the position of Ryhain in Stanton. His heart quickened as he looked up and smiled.
“I can’t begin to tell you all how much I love living here.” The crowd roared in applause. Osric held his hands out for silence. He gave them enough time to settle, knowing that they would not like his refusal, and he needed them calm if he was to make them understand. “However, my path must take a different direction if we are to survive the days to come.” The hush could almost be felt as all eyes grew expectant of his words.
“Something is happening in the realm of magic. Something is changing. Things nobody thought were possible are occurring every day. It is a mystery, and it is a threat. It seems that a cruel fate has destined me to be the one who solves this puzzle. For this purpose, I must step down from my position as Contege and pursue the path that has been laid out before me.” The onlookers began to object, but Osric spoke quickly to assuage their fears. “I may be called away from time to time, but Stanton will always be my home! I will dedicate myself to establishing protection for Stanton, for you, that no war will be able to threaten. Many of you will be called upon to join me in this endeavor, but for now, I will just ask you to trust me.”
“But who is going to be our Ryhain?” Shouts came from the gathered villagers.
“There is a man here who can be the man you need - a man far more qualified for the position than me. He has already shown his devotion to this land!” Osric pointed his finger at the soil. Murmurs began to spread as realization dawned. “He has served you better than I could, already. I trust this man to lead us through the coming war, more than I trust myself. He has far more experience to aid him in making the right decisions for our people.” Osric looked at Toby, knowing he would understand better than anyone what he had said to the crowd. Toby looked somber, and yet there was a hint of… relief? Osric was curious why such responsibility being laid at his feet would be cause for a release of worry. He cast his gaze back out over the crowd, and the air was thick with the anticipation of a name. “No man will serve us better as the Ryhain of Stanton than the Profice of Stanton. Toby, come up here.”
The crowd hesitated, weighing the implications for the future of their city. Then, a trickle of murmuring quickly erupted into cheering and applause, welcoming Ryhain Toby to the platform.
Chapter 21
____________
Laying Future Foundations
Osric gazed at Bridgett as she gathered plants in the woods outside of Stanton. The grace of her movements still amazed him. She seemed to glide across the ground, rather than walking upon it. He reclined against a tree, twirling his wand in his hand and daydreaming about their future together. They spent the morning together, wandering the woods, picking flowers, and staring up at the clouds in the sky. Winter had eased its grip on Stanton for a brief interlude of mild weather and bright skies.
Osric picked up a stone and tossed it into the air, catching it and tossing it again. As his mind wandered, he absently cast spells at the stone in the air to see what it would do. He was able to accurately hit the stone with a heatless fire ball. He could maintain the stone in the air with a stream of water, but it was far less accurate. He could throw the stone out in an arc and then call it back along the same path with just a thought. He also discovered he could manipulate a stream of air to keep the stone hovering before him without using his wand. Osric found the most fascinating ability was making the stone disappear. He held the stone in his hand and activated his ability to become invisible. The stone faded along with him. However, he was able to bring himself back into the visible spectrum without allowing the stone to reappear.
Osric sat forward, intrigued by the possibilities, and slowly reached out and set the stone on the ground. It remained invisible. He grinned widely and touched the stone with his finger to be sure it was actually there. He reached out and grasped another stone, anxious to replicate the experiment. It worked. Soon he had seven stones lined up before him on an apparently barren stretch of grass. He was intrigued by the possibilities presented by making objects invisible.
“Osric! Are you all right?” Bridgett came running over to him with a concerned expression.
“Of course,” he looked up at her with curiosity, “why?”
“Your fingers.” She reached down and took his hand in her own, and confusion replaced the concern.
“What about them?”
“They were missing.” She stared at him in expectation of an explanation. Osric glanced down at his fingers and a broad grin spread across his face. He kissed her hand and pulled his own from her grasp. He reached down and rearranged the stones, while she looked at him like she couldn’t figure out the rules to his game. Osric smiled at her and held up a finger to tell her to wait patiently. He reached into her basket and plucked out a stem of snow blossoms. The delicate white petals smelled like honey. He slowly lowered the flower to the ground before him, and Bridgett gasped in amazement when the flower disappeared. She knelt down, trying to determine how he had done it. Osr
ic reached down, raised the flower back up into sight, and tucked the stem into her flowing hair.
“How did you do that?”
“Well, I did it on accident.” Her eyes twinkled in disbelief. “I was experimenting with my new abilities, testing them on stones to see what I can do. I figured out how to make the stones stay invisible when I reappear.”
“Wow, that’s incredible.”
“However, you discovered this next part,” he touched the tip of her nose, “the invisible stones create a barrier of some sort. I guess the effect is carried over to something that moves behind the stones. That was why you couldn’t see my fingers.” Bridgett shook her head in wonder. Osric gathered the stones up and placed them in her basket with the flowers and herbs. “Come on, Gus is going to love this.”
*
“Why are you grinning like a kid in a wand shop? Do you know how ridiculous you look?” Gus asked loudly as Osric and Bridgett ran toward him, holding hands and looking far too happy for the current circumstances.
“Where is Kenneth? I need everyone here, quickly.”
“How the blazes should I know?”
“Oh Gus, even you will be excited about this. Help me find them.” Bridgett scooped him up and placed him on her shoulder as he cried out in protest. She hurried into the barracks to find Kenneth, Machai, and the others.
The High-Wizard's Hunt: Osric's Wand: Book Two Page 24