The Mages' Winter of Death: The Healers of Glastamear: Volume Two

by Charles Williamson

  “My men and I will ride south in two days. We hope to meet the wagon caravan from Southport Province and direct it here.”

  “You’re well enough to travel?”

  “Yes, with Jim’s help.”

  The governor handed him a scroll. “This is the deed to this house. When William the healer died, he had no heirs. You are now the owner of this house and its contents. I hope you will return to us on a regular basis to trade once the epidemic is past. May Father God be with you on your travels. If you see High Priest Carson, please ask him to send one of his senior clerics to begin the re-consecration of the Temple.”

  “The former High Priest of Snowport is in the province already; I saw him near Swamp Ford on my way here. He is a just and intelligent man. Perhaps he could take charge until word from Min Hollow about an official replacement can reach us.”

  “Excellent, as you head south, try and find him and ask him to come here. I know nothing about church politics, but if he’s been a high priest in a city as big as Snowport he must know the job.”

  The new governor left and headed out for his inspection of the city he now governed. Michael got up and put the deed into the safe behind a row of books. The house was one of the most ancient and prominent in town, but it was these books that would be important to the future of the guilds. Michael recognized the value of establishing relationships with important people no matter the future course of Glastamear, and he was pleased how things had turned out here.

  The following day, the four remaining knight protectors were tried for treason and hung. Michael was at least satisfied that the two men he had rendered unconscious had met a quick death because the verdict of treason could result in a horrible nightmare death. Their deaths were much easier than the atrocities the church had inflicted on his guild mates during the pogrom.

  Chapter 12

  The day following the executions, Michael and his friends rode quickly south toward Swamp Ford. Michael wanted to see if High Priest Carson would take the temporary role in Hearthshire Town. They rode directly to Azure Ford, where the wall had been mostly finished and the townsfolk were busy building stone watchtowers along their new wall. They spent the night there and Michael had further discussions about the warehouse the workers would construct for him starting within a week.

  The next morning, they rode quickly up the switchbacks into the Blacksmith Hills toward Swamp Ford, reaching it the following afternoon. Michael explained the fallen state of the church in Hearthshire Town and the complete lack of priests at the deconsecrated temple.

  High Priest Carson said, “Michael, I’ve never heard of Holy Perry taking away the power of bring forth his fire, and I know of no way to reverse this state of affairs. There is a ceremony for dedicating a new temple, but I doubt it will change the fire suppression.”

  “My lord, the naiads of Black Sand Beach can suppress fire magic with their water magic. I am certain they will allow the rituals of the church to be practiced if a good man is in charge at Hearthshire Town. If you tell me the day you plan the ceremony of dedication, I can ask them to remove their spell on your behalf.”

  “I have heard rumors of the debacle at Black Sand Beach where two hundred knight protectors lost all power to cast their fireballs. Do you believe this is the naiads punishment for our invasion of their territory?”

  “I cannot speak for the naiads with certainty, but I do know them and trade in their territory regularly. I also know that both you and High Priest Simon can still bring forth Perry’s Fire in your temples while the priests and knights in Broken Arrow, Hearthshire Town, and several other places have lost their powers. I think the naiads will allow good men of the church to stabilize the situation in our suffering kingdom. The naiads are never evil, and they are not vindictive like some humans. I know the acting governor of Hearthshire Province will welcome you. Do you have someone to leave in Swamp Ford in your place until the spring thaw when Min Hollow can appoint an official high priest?”

  “I have four priests who have fled from other towns. I can leave two here and take two with me. I’ll do it if you’re certain that the acting governor will approve.”

  They agreed on a time and day when the temple would be dedicated, and Michael and his friends headed for Broken Arrow to intercept the second wagon with provisions. When they reached the city, they found Southport soldiers guarding the main gates. They recognized Michael and his guards. Since Michael had been appointed by the governor of Southport Province to oversee the distribution of relief supplies, they opened the gates immediately and directed him to Commander Tallfellow who was using the Inn of the Recumbent Damsel as his base of operations.

  “Well met, Michael Son-of-William. Did your trip to the eastern part of the province go well?”

  Michael provided an account of their travels. Of course, he left out details like how the knight protectors had lost their fireball spells. Commander Tallfellow knew Commander Farrier well because he’d been Tallfellow’s superior in Southport many years earlier. He expressed his support for Farrier assuming the provisional title of acting governor and said that he and his troops would respect the acting governor’s authority.

  “Michael, I believe that the knight protectors and priest here in Broken Arrow have also lost their power of Perry’s fire. They don’t even seem able to bring forth Perry’s Fire at the weekly service or even provide the warmth they usually have inside the temple. They’ve been building bonfires in the courtyard for cooking and warmth. We’ve made no attempt to take control of the temple compound or interfere in their activities. The temple is very large for the size of the town, and I have no instructions regarding it, but I can tell you that the town’s citizens hate everyone in that compound. Before we arrived, the knight protectors would kill anyone who even approached the walls to plead for help.”

  “You have brought food and coal to the citizens. Gertrude’s potions should have brought the epidemic under control, but perhaps you should stay and safeguard the supplies and control their distribution. They are intended for the citizens of Broken Arrow not for distribution by the church. Have you word on the next caravan of relief supplies? Is it coming with a military escort?”

  Commander Tallfellow explained, “Since your group destroyed the Swamp Brigands and we occupied Broken Arrow, there seem to be no major threats to the wagons. The current caravan has only twenty soldiers as guards. It should be here tomorrow about midday.”

  “Do you have any news of Northport?” Michael asked.

  “I interviewed several refugees from there. It’s been a brutal winter with deeper than normal snowfall, and the harbor has frozen one palm deep for the first time in five decades. The Temple has been locked and barred, and no residents have seen a priest or knight protectors in six weeks, although people claimed they could hear ribald songs and the sounds of feasting coming from the temple precincts at night. I don’t know if Perry has withdrawn the power of fire from them, but they will have a difficult time rebuilding trust with any of the residents. Food seems to be in better supply because enough boats have been transported over the ice to clear water to fish, but thousands have died of the white pneumonia. I have heard nothing of conditions even farther north. Snow is too deep on the Snowport road for horses, and conditions have been too cold for even travel by ski or snowshoe for a week. We would have no hope of getting wagons farther north than here, but we might send help to Northport by ship if their harbor thaws or we have a way of getting supplies past the ice along the shore.”

  Michael knew more about the temple in Northport than the refugees had explained to the commander. He realized that all of the major temples in northern Glastamear had huge stone slabs, which were warmed by casting fire magic. The radiant heat from the stones was normally the only source of heat because the temples had always been under the control of fire mages. Even the kitchens used ovens heated by priests using their magic. Now that he’d enchanted the Perry’s Hand symbol above the main entrance to the temple, there w
ould be no fire magic to warm the temple or dormitories. He was fairly certain that the priests and knights were no longer feasting and singing songs. They would be shivering in the cold and cooking with firewood or coal, that is if they could find it without leaving the protection of their enclave.

  After his discussion with Commander Tallfellow, Michael walked to the street of the armorers and found Kevin the Massive who had sold him the armor that Michael and his friends wore. Kevin was busy at his forge, which had been cold for lack of business the last time Michael saw him. Kevin came over to Michael and hugged him in affection. “Michael, your gift of food came at the perfect time to get us through until the caravan arrived. Now, with eighty new soldiers with equipment needing repair, I’m back in business. I insist that you and your men have dinner with us tonight to celebrate the abundance of food that the gift from Southport has given us.”

  “Yes, we’d be honored,” Michael replied without thinking of all the ramifications.

  “But I see that your armor and that of your friends have seen battle and needs repair. Let me repair them this afternoon and you can pick them up at dinnertime.”

  “Let us go back to where we left our packhorses so we will have something to wear. I’ll bring them all back soon. We appreciate the offer, and I would be happy to pay for your time.” Michael had realized that it would not be a good idea for the Oxbow brothers to be seen in town without their helmets. He would also need to remove all the enchantments he’d added to strengthen the six sets of identical armor.

  “Michael Son-of-William, you are a friend not just a customer. It would be my pleasure to repair the armor I made for the late and much lamented King.”

  They went to the inn nearest the stable they had used for their horses. They all changed into normal clothing, and Jim who was not known in town, used one of the packhorses to take all the armor to Kevin for repair. He explained that Michael’s other guards had decided to seek the company of women for the evening but thanked Kevin for the invitation. The Oxbow brothers had actually decided it would be a good idea to stay in their rooms until they could wear their armor with its eagle helmets.

  The dinner with Kevin and his wife Susan gave Michael good insight into the local citizens’ view of the church of Perry Ascendant and its local representatives. They, like almost everyone in Broken Arrow, had assumed the church would tend the sick and bury the dead as it had in past times of difficulty. Hiding within the temple walls was widely condemned, and the current clergy would have a difficult time regaining the respect of the locals.

  Michael enjoyed the dinner, and the discussion of local concerns. Kevin and Susan were very in touch with the local feeling regarding the church’s failure to help during the epidemic. The whole town was furious. There was a lot of talk of revenge against the local priests, but everyone also knew that High Priest Simon had been responsible for sending the food and supplies that allowed the town to begin the process of rebuilding. Gertrude, the apothecary, was a local hero; she had saved hundreds with her potions. New cases of the white pneumonia had been absent the past three days, and the local market was considering reopening.

  As soon as the delicious dinner was over, Michael and Jim returned to the inn. Michael climbed the roof, transformed into a Great Ki Eagle, and flew home to Southport to spend the night with Diana. They had been able to keep in touch almost every evening through mage thought-talk, and he knew she was now certain of her pregnancy, and that twin girls were on the way by early summer.

  During his visit Diana had reported on all that was happening in Southport and commented on the situation to the north.

  She explained, “The purchases for this second shipment caused food prices to rise. The shipments are still popular with the growers of food and the gentry who own the agricultural land, but many of the urban citizens of Southport are opposed to more relief shipments.”

  “What are Governor Talton and High Priest Simon going to do? There is still great hunger in the north, and we need to help.”

  “The high priest spoke in favor of continuing our aid during the weekly ceremony of Bringing Forth Perry’s Fire. He pledged another thousand crowns to the effort. High Priest Simon is so respected that few people will oppose him in public, but I think we have only one or at most two shipments before the whole of the food surplus is exhausted. We should see that the food aid gets to where it can save the most lives.”

  “Diana, please try to gather all the supplies you can without creating real shortages here in the city of Southport. Do it as secretly as possible. If it’s in our warehouses, few people can object to what we choose to do with the food.”

  “Of course dear, I’ve already started buying for a future shipment. We’ve sold over half of the apartments in this building, and we now have enough cash to buy whatever we need.”

  Michael replied, “I know some fairy magic that will speed crop growth. See if you can find an out-of-the-way track of land where I can experiment with rapid growth. The fairies can plant a seed and make it grow into a tree within a few days. We many be able to add to the available food before this winter is over.”

  Their night together was delightful, and it was with great regret that Michael returned to Broken Arrow before noon the following day.

  Chapter 13

  That afternoon, the caravan of wagons set out from Broken Arrow for Hearthshire Town. Michael and his friends added their strength to the twenty-soldier guard unit that the Southport garrison had supplied. Michael wanted to get back to William’s house to arrange for the transport to Rock Point of the two hundred books that he thought would be most useful for training apprentice healers. Because deadly storms were common, most ships never got far from land even in southern Glastamear in the middle of winter. He had decided to take the books to the protected refuge he had constructed using dwarfish magic at Black Sand Beach four months earlier. From there they could be transported to Rock Point in the spring.

  They were preparing dinner in a camp about half way to Hearthshire Town when six knight protectors rode into their circle of wagons.

  One demanded to speak to whoever was in charge, and Michael walked forward after secretly casting quench fire magic.

  Michael said, “Greetings honorable knight. These goods are sent by High Priest Simon of Southport as aid for the citizens of…”

  Before Michael could finish his explanation, the leading knight said, “Worm, you have the count of ten to get yourself and all of these soldiers out of my sight. The drivers must stay with the wagons.” He drew his two-handed sword and guided his warhorse until he was directly next to Michael. The horse and rider were so close, that Michael had no trouble touching the horse with a surgery sleep spell. It collapsed immediately trapping the knight under its flank. The other knights tried fireball spells to no effect.

  The five knights still on horseback charged directly at Michael in their fury, shouting curses and raising their swords to kill him for the affront, but the Southport soldiers were all trained archers who were expert with longbows. Since knight protectors had been a problem on the previous caravan, these archers had been issued hardened iron-point arrows rather than the normal points used for hunting. At close range they could pierce even steel armor if driven by the two-paces-high longbows.

  The knights charged into the first volley of arrows and slowed as Michael rolled away under a nearby wagon dodging the hoofs of their warhorses. After the second volley, only two knights remained on horseback and Michael pulled himself to the far side of the wagon and jumped onto it before he charged toward the two knights still on horseback. He cast surgery sleep on their horses as he dodged the knights’ blades. With all the knights unhorsed and surrounded by archers who were now standing on the circle of wagons, the four who could still stand formed a circle in the middle of the camp. It might take scores of hits from arrows to bring down a knight in full armor unless one hit an artery. The battle might be long.

  “Rogue knights and deserters, if you surrender
now, we will take you to Hearthshire Town for judgment by the High Priest. Otherwise none of you will live through the next quarter hour with three score arrows bleeding you dry.”

  “We’ll kill you before we die, sewer rat!” They charged Michael before blood loss from their current wounds could slow them. Michael did not want over forty witnesses to the strength and cutting power of his elf-sword, so he used his blade for defense while the archers continued to loose arrows into the knights. He heard shouts as Jim and the Oxbow brothers charged the unhorsed knights from behind.

  After a few minutes of close combat, none of the knights were still standing. Michael and his men removed the helmets from all of the fallen knights and held daggers at their throats. All six were still alive but bleeding badly, except for the first knight who had been trapped under his fallen horse with a broken leg but not hit by arrows. Their armor was forcibly removed, and they were bound hand and foot.

  Michael decided to see what he could learn of their origin. He approached the first knight, the one he’d unhorsed assuming he was the leader. “Incompetent knight who can’t even keep his seat on a pony, from whence come you and your buffoonish companions?”

  “You diseased swine testicle, how dare you question a knight protector. You should know your place, Michael Son-of-Rodents. Do you think I don’t know you because of a beard? I was with the High Priest of Briarton, Baron Joseph Wheaton, when he came to the Inn of the Unicorn Steed to meet with you last autumn. You bought the ruins of the destroyed hospital building that evening, little good it will do you now with the chaos consuming your investment.”

  “So why are knights of Briarton this far south, and why have you turned brigand, goat-faced former knight of the fallen steed.”