Treachery in Tarnstead (Stoneblood Saga Book 5)

by Robyn Wideman

  “I’m sorry. I never should’ve let her watch the duel. I should’ve sent her away.”

  Ava shook her head. “She wasn’t scared of the fight. She’s seen enough violence that bloodshed doesn’t bother her anymore. She’s not the little girl you have to protect anymore. She feared you.”

  Nathan’s brow furrowed at Ava’s words. “I don’t understand. Why would she have to fear me?”

  “Your temper. You lose control so easily. All it took was an insult directed towards me or your parents, and you were ready to fly off the handle. You had an audience of powerful men from all over Solotine and beyond watching you tonight, and it took the king’s assassin less than a minute to send you into a boiling rage. Elderwood needs you. They need you to be strong, and to be a leader. Aunt Avera and Verin are great at running Elderwood, but when the enemies are at the gates everyone will be looking to you.”

  “And I failed. If I hadn’t heard your voice I would’ve fought in a rage.” Nathan sighed. Ava was right.

  “Don’t fret about it. They created a situation where there was no right answer. And while everyone saw you get angry, they also saw the control with which you fought. Only Hanna, myself, and Rose know why you really controlled your anger. I suspect the rest are confused by your mood swing. However, you truly need to let go of those emotions.”

  “How can I? I miss you so much. I miss my parents. When someone brings them up it is like losing them and you all over again.”

  “Everyone dies, Nathan. Everyone you know, and love is going to die. That is life, and when life is over, the spirit endures. Your parents see you, they are so proud of you. I watch you and I’m so proud of the things you’ve accomplished, but so sad that you won’t allow yourself to be happy.”

  “I am happy,” Nathan said in protest.

  “When? When have you taken the time to do things you love. You’ve spent all your time working on building Elderwood that you haven’t taken time for yourself.”

  “That’s not true. I went for a trip west. I have a wolf now. I have my own blacksmith shop.”

  “You went west to improve relations with your neighbors. That was you working to improve Elderwood. Just because you weren’t sweating and building blocks doesn’t mean you weren’t there on business. And the first cute girl you meet, you run away from. And in case you haven’t noticed Lord Ridgeback isn’t your wolf. He’s Rose’s wolf. You have a connection to him, but only a weak one. Ridgeback wolves are a rare breed, their magic is both earth and spirit. I connected with him while I was held captive but when I died my ability to connect with him didn’t, it got stronger. I sent Lord Ridgeback south to look over the two of you, but now Rose is connected to him in a way you could never be. And your third point, about the blacksmith shop. When have you actually used it? Once, twice since you set it up? When was the last time you used it just because you wanted to create something and not for someone else?”

  Nathan sighed. Arguing with Ava’s spirit was much like arguing with her in real life. A losing proposition. “I suppose you might be right.”

  Ava smiled. “You know I am. Life is complicated and is going to become even more complicated. Lord Zellox’s evil can be felt in the spirit world and is growing, even after the setbacks in Balta. Solotine is a volatile place ready to explode and it isn’t alone. The return of dragons has changed everything. That is why Elderwood needs you to learn control, and to live a balanced life. People who push aside happiness and love forget what truly matters in life. You can’t become that person. Your parents and I filled a few happy chapters in your life, but those chapters are done now. It is time for you to write the next chapters. Don’t let them only be filled with work, war, and anger.”

  “You are going to beat this into my head, aren’t you,” Nathan said.

  Ava smiled again, but this time her eyes only held sadness. “I don’t want to harp on you. But I don’t know when we will be able to talk like this again. Dream walking is difficult enough for people with strong spirit magic, without the lunar eclipse and Hanna here to help you I don’t know if it will ever happen again. This is special to me, being here with you, but you are too important to Elderwood to not warn you of what is ahead. Darkness is coming. You are going to have to be strong. Find happiness where you can and be there for Rose and everyone else. Dealing with your anger means not just bottling it up and ignoring it. Forgive and move on. Getting angry when someone talks ill of me or your parents does our memories a disservice.” Ava shook her head. “That is enough lecturing. Sit with me awhile like we used to.” Ava sat by the pond and dipped her feet in. She picked up a small pebble and gave him a look.

  Nathan walked to the other side of the pond and put his feet into the water as he sat. Just like the pond in their childhood there was a small pile of pebbles there for him to throw towards her. He picked one up and chucked it towards her. It landed a foot to the right of her and two feet short.

  Ava smiled and threw her pebble. It landed just in front of him. “I’m still kicking your butt,” she said with a laugh.

  Nathan took his time and aimed carefully. He gently threw his pebble at her. This one hit her in the leg. Nathan closed his eye and tilted his head towards the sky letting out an exaggerated groan that was rewarded with another giggle from Ava. The truth was Ava had always won this little game of theirs and neither of them had cared. It was a simple pleasure, just being in the woods together playing silly games.

  They played the game for what seemed like hours to Nathan, neither really saying much, just enjoying the moment before Ava stood. “I’ll miss this most,” Ava said.

  Nathan nodded. He knew their time was up. There was so much he’d wanted to say if he ever got the chance to see her again, but now he realized he didn’t need to. Ava understood him like no one else could. He didn’t need to apologize or tell her how much he missed her. Or how he was struggling without her. She already knew all that and more. No, just being there with her at the pond throwing pebbles was perfect.

  Ava stepped into the fog and darkness and disappeared back into the spirit world.

  Waking, Nathan heard a knocking at his door. He got out of bed, threw on a pair of pants and a tunic and opened the door.

  Rose was there. “Hurry up. You’re late.”

  Nathan frowned. “I am? What time is it?”

  “Almost noon.”

  Nathan was surprised. It hadn’t seemed that long. “OK. What am I late for? I’ve obviously missed breakfast.”

  “You have a meeting with Aunt Avera and Count Mavane.”

  “I see,” Nathan said. They probably wanted to formulate a plan to try to deal with last night’s debacle. “Can you tell them I’ll be right there. I just need to head to the kitchen. I’m famished.”

  Rose shook her head. “No need. Hanna told them you would be sleeping late and would wake very hungry. They have food waiting for you.” Rose paused for a second, looking nervous. “Did you see her, last night”

  Nathan smiled. “Yes. I did. It was a good visit.”

  Rose relaxed. “Good. She was nervous you wouldn’t be able to. That the lunar eclipse wasn’t enough. She comes to me easy enough. But you are different.”

  “I know. Earth magic and spirit don’t go together well except in certain wolves. Speaking of which. Ava informs me that you’ve stolen my wolf.”

  Rose giggled. “She said you’d say something like that. It’s more like Lord Ridgeback chose me, or rather Ava, then chose me. Lord Ridgeback really doesn’t like earth magic. He prefers spirit.”

  That surprised Nathan. “How come?”

  “Earth magic draws him to you, like a magnetic field. Spirit magic connection is more of a mutual choice. That is the way Ava describes it.”

  Interesting, thought Nathan. It was something worth investigating in the future. Perhaps he really did need to spend more time in the new magic school.

  As they reached the doors of the study, Nathan took a deep breath. It was time to face the music. Las
t night’s fiasco was his fault and he’d need both Avera and Count Mavane on his side to help salvage the situation. He opened the doors.

  Laughter met his ears. Both Avera and Count Mavane were laughing wholeheartedly.

  “You remember that Mandillian pirate who kept trying to sell his stolen wares in the west? “Oh, I can assure you, Lady Alton, these bundles of silverware engraved with the king’s crest are not stolen. They were a gift.” Can you imagine. A king giving silverware as a gift?”

  “Carlton Montgomery. How could I forget. He tried to sell us that same silverware. In fact, I’m pretty sure he stole some of ours afterwards, probably to sell in Mandilla.”

  Avera turned and smiled as Nathan and Rose entered the room. “Oh, there you are. I was wondering how long it would take before you woke. Come have a seat.” Avera pointed to the table filled with food. “Have a bite of something. The count and I were just discussing some mutual acquaintances we’ve met over the years.”

  Nathan frowned. “You two are awfully cheerful this morning.”

  “And why wouldn’t we be?” Avera said. “It’s a beautiful day.”

  “I would’ve thought last night’s disaster would’ve been more of a drain on your mood.”

  “If it had been a disaster that might be the case,” Count Mavane said. “Your aunt and I spent much of this morning speaking to the guests we didn’t see down at the pavilion after the duel. The results of those conversations were quite enlightening.”

  Nathan’s frown of confusion only grew as he listened to Avera and the count. Both were happy, but how? “I’m a little lost here. Would someone please explain.”

  “Nathan, what was the purpose of the festival?”

  “To introduce everyone to Elderwood. To show that magic wasn’t something to be frightened of.”

  “Exactly,” Count Mavane said. “Everyone loved the festival and have been asking if you intend to have another. The number of guests who were secretly open-minded towards magic, or were swayed by how you used magic to create so much beautiful art, is astounding. I honestly didn’t believe people would be so receptive. Even talking about magic was frowned upon in Solotine, but it seems it didn’t matter. They had known Balta was a magical place, but never understood what that meant. Heck, even I have found myself rethinking my position on magic and I thought I was fairly open-minded on the subject. It makes me regret never visiting Balta.”

  “To be fair, even in Balta we didn’t use magic the way we’ve done in Elderwood. I had a lot of magical trinkets and paintings in my home, but you wouldn’t have seen magical statues and city lights like here.” Avera smiled at Nathan. “The festival was a roaring success. Your idea was brilliant. Hundreds have seen it and you know they’ll be talking among their friends and families. It won’t change everything overnight, there will still be plenty who look at us with fear and uncertainty, even outright hate, but it is a solid start.”

  “But, what about the duel? And all the problems that will come of it?”

  Count Mavane shook his head. “Every single noble and merchant that we talked to since the fight have been satisfied with the outcome. Even the merchants from Progoh admitted that Gadwell Maycott was there to cause trouble. Nobody was fooled by them dressing him up as a noble. What mattered was that you honored the accords. Your actions last night gained us many allies.”

  “Not in the capital,” Nathan said, still not convinced that the night had been the total success that Avera and Count Mavane were making it out to be.

  “The very fact that the king sent men like Lambert Symons and Gadwell Maycott here as his representatives tells you all you need to know,” Count Mavane said. “The king already has his mind made up that you are a threat. The king could’ve easily sent someone else, or gods forbid, come himself. No, the fact that Symons orchestrated that duel by manipulating the accords works in our favor. All the nobles and merchants from the other towns and cities of Tarnstead saw what happened and blame the king for it. Lambert Symons put together a crafty play, but the only two outcomes that worked in his favor were you expelling him without accepting the accords, or if you had been killed in battle. I’m actually surprised they didn’t have a backup plan to make sure you died during the fight.”

  “They did. His blades were poisoned,” Nathan said.

  Count Mavane nodded. “Yes. That makes sense. Regardless, their plan failed and now the king will have to tread lightly. He has enough problems in the eastern cities he can’t afford to be redirecting troops west to deal with Elderwood. That is probably why they considered killing you the best option.”

  Nathan sighed. “That seems to be a common idea lately. Duke Bristol and Captain Vatkin had similar thoughts.”

  Count Mavane shrugged his shoulders. “It was to be expected that the building of Elderwood would cause troubles. What I hadn’t anticipated was how the troubles in Tarnstead would exacerbate the issue. I’m afraid I’ve put you in a bad position.”

  “Where else could we have gone?” Avera asked.

  “True,” Count Mavane said. “I suppose we have no choice now but to deal with the consequences.”

  “What will they be for you. You taking an active role in the duel on my behalf won’t sit well with the king.” Nathan worried that his friend was getting into dark waters on their behalf.

  “I’m afraid my position with the king was on soft ground whether I supported you or not. But with so many different scenarios beyond our control there is no point worrying about what the king will do next. Let us just enjoy this small victory. A successful magical festival in Solotine, who would’ve dreamt such a thing could happen.”

  Nathan finally smiled, Avera and the count’s enthusiasm was rubbing off on him. He took a mug of ale off the table and raised it in salute. “To a successful festival.”

  “To a successful festival,” Rose said as she lifted another mug.

  “Rose. Put down that mug,” Avera chided the girl.

  “What?”

  “You are too young to be drinking ale. Especially in the daytime. And shouldn’t you be in school?”

  Rose grinned mischievously. “I was just doing as I was told. Wake Nathan and bring him here. How was I to know it would take half a day.”

  “Because Hanna told you it would,” Avera reminded her.

  “Oh ya, must’ve slipped my mind,” Rose said.

  Nathan laughed. Avera wasn’t particularly convincing in her scolding, nor was Rose in pretending to be contrite. “I think Rose has earned a day off from school. Besides, she and I have much to talk about.”

  “That sounds ominous,” Avera said.

  Rose waved at her aunt, her hand brushing the idea away as she reached for a treat off the table. “He’s just jealous that Lord Ridgeback loves me more than him,” she said between bites.

  Avera raised an eyebrow and tried not to smile as she looked over at Nathan. “This true?”

  Nathan chuckled. “I don’t know if I’m jealous or relieved that Rose is now responsible for cleaning and feeding him. But, yes, last night Ava came to me in my dreams and one of the things we talked about was that Lord Ridgeback has chosen Rose. It seems there is much for me to learn when it comes to earth and spirit magic.”

  “Interesting,” Avera said. “Earth and spirit weren’t magics practiced much in Balta, so perhaps our new teacher from the west will be the one to discuss this with. Did you learn anything else in your dream?”

  “It seems that even as a spirit, Ava is especially good at pointing out when I’m being an ass. Other than that, it was just good to see her, even if only in my dream and for a short while.”

  “Lord Zellox,” Rose said.

  “Right,” Nathan said. “Ava is worried about the future. Lord Zellox’s evil is growing, it might not be an immediate threat, but it is the most dangerous. I assume if Ava learns anything more Rose will be the first to know.”

  Avera gave Rose a puzzled look. It was obvious that she hadn’t told Aunt Avera about how strong
her connection to Ava was now. Not that Nathan blamed her. Her connection to her sister’s spirit was her own business, and she could share it when she was ready.

  Rose put down the sweet she’d been about to devour and gave Avera a sheepish glance. “I don’t need a lunar event to dream walk. I can talk with Ava whenever I need to.”

  “Well, that is surprising,” said Avera. “And wonderful news. I am so happy for you, Rose.”

  “Thank you, Aunty. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you earlier. I just liked having her to myself.”

  “Nothing to be sorry about, my dear. Although, I now understand why you are doing so well in your studies of late.”

  Rose blushed. “I might’ve had some help, but I’m studying really hard. Ava doesn’t know everything.”

  If there was anything predictable about Rose, it was that she shared her sister’s competitive nature and now would work twice as hard to prove she wasn’t sliding by on her sister’s knowledge. Nathan laughed. “Don’t worry. No one is mad at you.

  “You, on the other hand,” Avera said.

  Nathan frowned. He was just getting used to the idea last night wasn’t a total disaster, what had he forgotten about. “Dare I ask?”

  Avera smiled to lessen the blow. “Our new teacher tells me her daughter is in a foul mood. If I were you, I’d go deal with it before it becomes an issue.”

  Camille, thought Nathan. “OK. I will do that.”

  “Yes. Go apologize,” Rose said.

  “Apologize? What did I do?” Nathan asked.

  Rose sighed loudly. “You let her be treated like some damsel in distress, coming in and fighting over her.”

  Nathan laughed. “Don’t be silly, Rose. She understands why I had to step in. I’ll go find out what is the matter.

  22

  “You.”

  Nathan froze as he saw the look on Camille’s face. She looked ready to kill and the only target in sight was him. “Me?”

  “Yes, you,” Camille said crossly.