“Hmm,” Shomas frowned. He was having difficulty contacting the butterflies, they kept nervously slipping away from him. “Perhaps I am weary from this hot sun,” he said with a yawn. Closing his eyes, he reached out gently and- And nothing.
“Lord Feany?” Olivia tugged at his arm. She pointed across the field. “What is wrong with the horses?”
Shomas opened his eyes. The horses were indeed acting strangely; trotting to and fro nervously, flicking their tails rapidly, their ears high and alert. Now he saw why he had trouble connecting with the butterflies; they, too, were disturbed by something. The butterflies had flown away from the wildflowers, soaring higher into the air, moving in a group toward the lake.
Then, the butterflies zoomed upward as if taken by an unseen gust of wind, for leaves on the trees at the edge of the field were unmoving. The horses all snorted and galloped away toward the lake. “What the-” Shomas rose to his feet, alarmed. The guards were now all their feet also, hands on the hilts of their swords. Everyone saw the horses had been startled by something. An animal? Was there a bear or a pack of wolves in the grove of trees beyond the field? Or something worse? Horses would be startled by wolves, but butterflies cared nothing about land predators. Shomas gestured for Oliva to be quiet, as the guards ran toward the princess. She was in a very bad place if her guards had to defend her; behind her was a sheer cliff down to the lake, and the cliff extended to the east also. As a site for a gazebo overlooking the lake, the cliff was ideal. As a spot for a mere dozen guards to protect the future queen of Tarador, it hardly could have been worse.
Striding as quickly as he could down the hill toward the trees on the far side of the field, Shomas almost closed his eyes, sending out his senses. He fell backward with a shock and lay momentarily stunned. “The enemy!” He cried out, and behind him, soldiers who had been hurrying the princess down the hill stopped and surrounded her, swords drawn. Before Shomas could get to his feet, a fireball burst out of the grove of trees, arcing through the air toward the princess. Shomas fell to the ground again as he used both hands to deflect the deadly ball of magical fire; it splashed to the ground to the right of the guards around the princess and set the grass aflame.
“Lord Feany,” Olivia’s voice cracked as she helped the wizard to his feet.
Shomas shook his head. “Stay behind me, girl. I’ve been a fool! We were so engrossed is talking about magic, I forgot to use magic. We are here to protect the princess, and I have been acting as if we were on a holiday,” he was disgusted by himself. As he spoke, an enemy wizard in dark robes and a hideous skull mask stepped out of the woods, followed by several dozen soldiers who were also wearing the garish facepaint and helmets of Acedor. The enemy was spread out around the base of the field, trapping the princess against the top of the cliff.
The enemy wizard shook his fist at Shomas, then gathered another fireball and threw it at the princess. This time, Shomas was more prepared and he was able, barely able, to catch the glowing ball of flame on the air. He struggled to hold it, then his strength failed and the fire was flung to the ground. It splashed when it hit, burning specks of magic fire flying through the air to bounce off the shields held by Ariana’s guards. Some of the guards were not so fortunate, suffering minor injuries as their arms or legs were scorched by fire. To their credit, they did not waver, only shaking their shields for the fire to drip onto the ground at their feet.
“Step aside, fool!” The enemy warned Shomas, his magic-enhanced voice booming out across the field. “Your pitiful powers cannot stop me. Step aside, and you may yet live for another day.”
Shomas wavered on his feet, his knees weak. Olivia did her best to hold him up, and Shomas leaned into her for support. He gathered his strength and added magic to his own voice, so it was heard clearly by everyone within sight. “Pitiful? You say I am pitiful, though your greatest effort has been turned aside!” His voice cracked with the strain. “There are other magics known to true wizards, far stronger than the simple act of throwing fire!”
“Ha ha ha,” the enemy laughed. “Wizards? You name yourself among us? Gardener I name you, not wizard. You play with your flowers and bees, and you insult us all by pretending to be a wizard. Step aside, master gardener, that a wizard may show you the form of real power!” The enemy wizard used both hands above his head to conjure a truly powerful fireball; its heat was felt upon Olivia’s face, and she looked to Shomas for guidance. The older wizard’s eyes were barely open, and his lips quavered. Olivia debated whether she should release Lord Feany in order to attempt throwing a fireball of her own. It would be weak, barely worth the effort, but it might distract the enemy for a moment.
While the enemy had been boasting, Shomas had his hands behind his back, fingers moving in intricate patterns; his eyes almost closed as he concentrated, his lips whispering incantations. When he was ready, his eyes opened fully, and he stood up straight and tall. “Evil one, you mock the power of flowers and bees, yet nature is the greatest power of all. You hate nature, for your kind hates all life and goodness. Mock all you wish, for it is your doom.”
With an enraged screech, the enemy gathered the brightly burning fireball in one hand, and drew back to throw it. Olivia pulled her arm away from Shomas and held up both hands to knock the fireball aside, knowing it to be a futile gesture for one so young and untrained against such power.
But the fireball was never thrown, instead it winked out of existence as the enemy wizard lost all concentration and the power was pulled back into the spirit world. The enemy cried out in fear and anger as the branches of trees and the looping strands of vine enveloped the dark wizard; roots erupted from the ground to entangle his legs. In the blink of an eye, he was torn asunder, ripped apart by a power that can crack stone. Not only the wizard met that terrible fate, any others of the enemy ranks who stood within reach of that grove of trees found themselves grasped by roots and tree limbs that wrapped themselves around arms, legs and necks. Frantic hacking with sword blades did little, and weapons were soon torn from the enemy’s grip to fly across the field; soon followed by pieces of those who had served the evil one. One enemy soldier who had only been trapped by a single tree limb wrapped around his ankles, found himself flung one way then the other through the air, the tree swaying back and forth violently as it slammed the enemy to the ground over and over until the body lay limp and broken. Another most unfortunate soldier, at the very edge of the grove of trees, managed to break loose from the thin root which encircled his leg, by wriggling off his boot. He thought he had escaped, but as he ran he was tripped by a bush that whirled at his legs. When he fell, he soon found a single rose vine around his neck, thorns tearing at his skin as the vine tightened and tightened.
When the trees stilled, their branches twisted horribly in the air, roots sagging back down to the soil, only a dozen of the enemy remained alive. Any other soldiers, no matter how brave, might have been overcome by good sense and retreated, having lost all chance of accomplishing their mission. These enemy soldiers, being under magical compulsion, screamed as one and charged across the field and up the hill toward the crown princess.
Ariana’s guard, which until then had not struck a blow at the enemy, held firm, absorbing the enemy’s undisciplined initial attack. Then it was small groups of soldiers pitted one against another, in a desperate battle. Ariana was forced back toward the edge of the bluff, her heels scraping the ground to stop herself from being flung over the edge. Her skilled soldiers were gaining the upper hand, but the enemy were fanatical, desperate to get at her and cared nothing for the swords that hacked at them.
Olivia shook Lord Feany’s head; the wizard had collapsed after engaging his powerful spell. “Lord Feany! Shomas!” She cried, but the wizard lay on the ground, unaware what was happening around him. Olivia sprang to her feet, trying to draw a fireball, but in her confusion, the flame flickered and snuffed out. Two of the enemy, injured but undeterred, had broken through the line of guards, and one was poised to st
rike Ariana, his blood-dripping sword raised. Olivia pulled a dagger from her belt and threw it without thinking what she was doing. The small blade sliced through the air, flipping over and over from her hasty throw, and the handle struck the enemy just below his right eye. It was enough, it knocked the man off balance; his sword came down on empty air as the princess ducked aside. Then his mouth opened in surprise, as Ariana’s own dagger plunged into the enemy’s chest. The princess danced away and rolled to the ground as the stricken soldier fell to his knees, then died as one of Ariana’s guards ran him through with a sword.
And then it was, suddenly and shockingly as it began, over. There was a stunning silence on the unintended battlefield, broken only by the gasps of soldiers raggedly breathing, and the agonized cries of the wounded. Not one of the enemy were alive, having all fanatically fought to the death. Five of Ariana’s escort had been cut badly, and two lay dead. Only five were unharmed. Unharmed physically; they were all in shock. Shock from the wholly unexpected attack at the royal summer playground, and shock at the carnage they had witnessed when nature itself had risen and destroyed the enemy.
Ariana rushed to help treat the wounded, ignoring the protests of the guards who were concerned more about her. Olivia helped Shomas, who as regaining his wits, to sit up, although the wizard could not yet stand. “Lord Feany?” Olivia asked gently. “Can you help? We have people who need healing.”
“Aye, lass,” Shomas said with terrible weariness. “Let me rest a moment, I’m seeing spots swimming before my eyes.” He shook his head, blinked, and gazed toward where the enemy wizard had been standing. “Ah,” he said, a tear rolling down his cheek. “I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry. I had to do it, you understand?”
A soldier, who had been sent by the princess to attend to the wizard heard Shomas, and dropped to one knee. Seeing that Lord Feany was unharmed, the soldier spoke in reaction to the words of the wizard. “The death of any wizard is a grievance to all those with such power? I should not be surprised that you are sorry for killing him.”
“Eh?” Shomas looked up, startled, just then noticing the soldier. “Sorry for the death of that filth? What in blazes are you talking about, man?”
“I, I meant no offense, Lord Feany,” the soldier stammered. “You expressed sorrow at your actions. You wizards are different from us common folk, it is no shame to mourn the death of one blessed with magical power.”
“Oh,” Shomas laughed bitterly. “No. You do not understand. I was not apologizing to the enemy for having killed him; he deserved a thousand deaths for serving the evil one. I begged forgiveness from the trees. I asked them, I made them, act against their nature. They create life, and I made them end a life. What I did was a sin against nature, and I asked forgiveness and understanding for what I had to do.”
The soldier’s eyes grew wide, and he contemplated the cool, dark treeline. “The trees? They can hear us?” He was thinking fearfully of how many trees he had cut down in his life.
“Yes, man,” Shomas said wearily, “though they do not often listen, for our affairs are of no interest to them. Their world is the cycle of nature, and we are but passing through, in their eyes.”
“The trees?” The soldier swallowed, his throat dry. “They are dangerous?”
Shomas laughed. “If one were to fall on you, yes. Or if you are foolish enough to stand under a tree during a lightning storm. You need not fear them. Now, help me up,” he held out a hand. “There are many here who could use the healing power of a wizard.”
“Lord Salva,” Carlana said with all the haughtiness she could muster, “I require your services. The enemy attacked the crown princess,” she emphasized Ariana’s official position rather than her relation to Carlana, “very shortly after she arrived at the summer palace. Such a plan could not have been put together so quickly; the enemy surely had advanced notice that Ariana would be there. There must be a spy in the royal palace; your unique skills as a wizard are needed to root out this danger.”
Paedris was taken aback. “A spy? You think the enemy needed a spy to learn that Ariana would be going to the summer palace? Woman, news of the crown princess’ movements was all over Linden within hours of your decision to banish your daughter. Preparations had to be made; the marketplaces in the city were busy as a beehive supplying goods for the journey. The roads to the summer palace were choked with courtier traveling to their own summer homes near that palace, so the hangers-on could curry favor with Ariana. Did you think the movement of a future monarch could be a secret? Even if the enemy was unable to break the codes of army telegraph messages, I am certain many other messages were sent uncoded.” He shook his head. “The enemy did not need a spy within these walls to learn that Ariana would be at the summer palace.”
Carlana’s eyes flashed with anger. “How then as the enemy so prepared? How did they arrive so quickly?”
“Because, you foolish-” Paedris caught himself. Carlana Trehayme was the Regent to whom he officially owed loyalty. And, until she was replaced by her daughter, Paedris might still need Carlana, even as useless as she mostly was. “Because, the enemy was already in the area for another purpose. Hearing that Ariana would not be safely within the walls of the royal palace must have seemed a great gift to the enemy. I suspect that enemy wizard was on his way here to Linden, to cause mischief of one sort or another. The enemy is within our borders, Regent. They have breached our borders and captured our territory, and you do nothing but pull the army back. Search for spies all you wish; all you will accomplish is to sow suspicion and discord within our ranks to the delight of the enemy. I will not participate.” Paedris set down his glass of wine, untouched, stood up, bowed, and left the room without another word. He did not trust himself to speak at that moment, so great was his anger.
Ariana could not take power soon enough for Paedris Don Salva.
After the attack at the lake, Ariana’s guards rushed her back to the summer palace, and insisted she remain in the strong tower at the southeast corner of the palace. That tower was the only part of the palace that had been built with protection of the royal family in mind; the remainder of the palace had been built for comfort. As soon as word of the attack had reached the summer palace, the telegraph on the roof had signaled for reinforcements from the Royal Army. Until a column of cavalry rode up the drive in a cloud of dust, the guards ringed the tower day and night, with the wizard and his young trainee on the roof searching for trouble. No trouble came, and as soon as the cavalry was able to rest and water their horses, they escorted the princess back to Linden. Shomas was not able to truly rest until the towers of the royal castle were in sight.
CHAPTER FIVE
By midday, the wind had died completely, and the Lady Hildegard drifted on the calm waters. Sails hung slack, and ropes slapped listlessly against the spars as the ship rolled slowly side to side in the long swells. Instead of the sound of waves splashing along the sides of the hull as the ship bobbed forward over the swells, there was only a faint rippling sound. Koren was used to hearing waves crashing against the side of ship, and hissing as the slid backward along the hull. Now, the low swells made only a desultory ‘sploop’ sound as they gently slapped the wood timbers of the hull, and there was no hissing, only the drip, drip, drip of water droplets falling.
It was odd to hear the ominous sounds of the ship’s timbers while they were not at anchor. Koren was used to the unsettling creaking and groaning when the ship was in port; here on the open sea he found it unnerving. “Has this happened to you before?” Koren asked Alfonze. “Being on the sea, with absolutely no wind?” Koren had experienced light winds, but never had his ship been totally dead in the water.
“Oh, sure, plenty of times.” The big man squinted up at the sun to judge its position. “It’s worse further south. There, we get what we call the Doldrums. It can stay dead calm like this for days, weeks even.” Despite the heat, Alfonze’s shoulders shuddered.
Old Jofer leaned over the rail and spat into the wate
r. “Oh, it can get bad, young Kedrun. In days gone by, I was aboard a ship that was becalmed for twenty three days, in the Doldrums. In the heat and without waves soaking the upper timber of the hull, the wood dried out, seams opened. We took to using the pumps to spray seawater on dry timbers, because we ran low on caulk to seal the seams. Tar from the rigging dripped onto the deck. Fresh water in the casks grew foul, and there was no rain to replenish our supply. Food was running out; we took to fishing over the side to fill our bellies.” Jofer’s voice faded. “Some of the crew began to go mad after two weeks. We had to lock them in the hold. They screamed and moaned all day and night. I almost went mad with thirst myself.”
Koren paused to give the old sailor time to consider the terrible events. “How did it end?”
Jofer shook himself back to the present. “A line of squalls, and then a long, hard blow behind it. We had to run before it, on almost bare poles; hardly any sails set. Those winds pushed us so far off course, it took a week, beating back and forth, to get back to where we started. I tell you, young Kedrun, I don’t ever want to go through something like that ever again.”
Koren looked up at the sun. “Could that happen to us?”
To his surprise, Jofer, who almost always was the very voice of gloom and doom, laughed and slapped Koren on the back. “Never you worry! We’re not at the latitudes of the Doldrums; the wind will come back later today, or tomorrow. For sure. In all my long years, I’ve never seen a ship get stuck here, at this time of year, for more than a day. The Captain built time in the delivery schedule, we’ll make it on time.”
Koren had heard Jofer tell so many tall tales, he didn’t know whether to trust the old man.
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