Nicholas Raven and the Wizards' Web (The Complete Epic Fantasy)

by Thomas J. Prestopnik

  “Then that’s good enough for me.” Arteen took his horse by the reins and walked up the beach with Nicholas and Arch in the direction they had come from. “So tell me, Nicholas, what do you wish to know about me? Or should I just reveal the latest information I have and take it from there?”

  “That’ll be fine for starters. I can throw in an odd question as it suits my curiosity,” he said.

  “Fair enough.”

  “Good,” Arch calmly remarked. “Now that the preliminaries are settled, perhaps Arteen can start talking so we can start listening. What news do you bring?”

  “Simply this,” he replied. “My friends and I have set a time for our raid on the Bretic. Three nights from tonight. The last of the rafts will have departed up the Lorren by then, and along with them those soldiers who are still loyal to the Isles and its cause.”

  “You’re planning to take the ship?” Nicholas jumped in, his heart leaping in his chest as hopes for rescuing Ivy grew more realistic by the moment. He could already feel the spray of cold seawater upon his face and hear the snapping of flags suspended from the mast lines as he sailed across the Trillium to the Northern Isles. His farfetched dream was at last becoming a possibility.

  “Of course we’re taking the ship,” Arteen said as if that should have been obvious. “And the few buildings and written records on Karg Island as well. That has been our aim from the start.” He gently rubbed a hand through his horse’s mane as they walked, his face tightening. “Then we plan to destroy them all in a blaze of fire. Maybe that’ll send a message to the Isles that their intentions are corrupt and their support is wearing thin.”

  Nicholas stopped dead in his tracks, the pit of his stomach in knots. “Wait. You’re going to do–what?” he asked, hoping he had misinterpreted what Arteen had said.

  He and Arch turned and faced Nicholas who looked pale and on the verge of despair. Arteen appeared puzzled by his reaction. Arch had expected it and offered a weak smile.

  “I told you yesterday, Nicholas, that you may not like what I have to say regarding our plans,” Arch explained. “Or in this case, what Arteen had to say. His men have been planning this operation for quite some time. It’s what they think is best for their cause and for our cause as well. And I agree with them.”

  “Wouldn’t keeping the ship be better?” Nicholas desperately asked before telling Arteen about Ivy and his plan to rescue her from the Isles.

  “Where would we take the ship?” Arteen asked. “Back home, after which we’d all be arrested or killed?” He shook his head, dismissing Nicholas’ plan outright. “We need to take this action. It’s a small start, I know, but maybe more will grow from it. When word reaches the Isles about our attack, maybe others will have the courage to act against our corrupt leaders as well. They’ve been destroying our nation for years, using its people and resources for their own gain to the point where some citizens are fleeing the Isles in secret to start new lives in Laparia and beyond. Others continue to fight to change things from within. That includes the captain of the Bretic. He is on our side and will assist us when we return to the ship in three nights.”

  “Nicholas, you can’t expect Arteen’s men to put their plans on hold for you,” Arch said. “Despite the nobility of your cause, they must strike while they have the chance. Perhaps someday you’ll be reunited with Ivy when another opportunity presents itself.”

  Nicholas scowled. “Do you really believe that, Arch? This is my only chance!”

  “I want what’s best for the most people,” he continued, truly concerned for Nicholas yet knowing his demand for using the ship was unrealistic. “Maybe there’s another way you can help save lives, both here and abroad. Your journey to my village and this region need not be in vain, Nicholas. There is still much for you to do.”

  Nicholas tried to hold his growing anger in check. “What are you talking about?”

  Arch looked him in the eyes, hoping the young man would still accept him as a friend after his slight deception. “To be honest, when Hannah first brought you to my home, I never planned to involve you in these activities even after hearing about your encounter with the Islanders. Arteen and his men have enough people in place to achieve their aims. But as you told me about your growing friendship with King Justin and his granddaughter, and how he had placed so much trust in you in such a short time, well, I knew that that relationship might be useful to our cause here.”

  “What? Are you simply using me for your own gain?”

  “No! No! Not for my gain, Nicholas, but for all those families who live along the Crescent,” Arch hastily assured him. “Maybe I should have been honest about my intentions from the start, but I wanted you first to see up close exactly what we’re facing here. Getting you involved with this operation would do just that, or so I had hoped. As much as our villages value independence, an alliance with Arrondale might be a good thing as we develop into a unified nation in the years ahead. But now that the Islanders have stepped foot onto our shores, an alliance is an idea whose time has come.”

  “Then send representatives to Morrenwood yourself. Why involve me?”

  “Some have suggested that very thing, Nicholas, though most expect King Justin has more important matters than worrying about us here on the edge of nowhere,” he replied. “And after what you told me about Arrondale involving itself on two battlefronts, I can guarantee that our scattered villages of Illingboc, North Port, Tana and all the rest would be the least of King Justin’s worries. But if you went back to the Blue Citadel and told him of our plight, he might take it seriously. And since you have successfully completed your mission at Wolf Lake, he would trust your judgment even more so if you put in a good word for us.”

  Nicholas shoved his hands in his coat pockets and looked out onto the sea as Arch waited for a reply. Arteen kept a few paces back, standing next to his horse in silence.

  “I thought I had doubts about Arteen,” he said as he gazed across the water. He turned to Arch, grimfaced. “Now I’m not so sure about you.”

  “Surely you can trust me, Nicholas. After all, I’ve given you food and a place to stay. And Hannah saved your life.”

  “Oh, her I trust completely.”

  Arch grinned. “I suppose I deserved that.”

  Arteen stepped forward. “In Arch’s defense, he and many others like him in the various villages have provided those of us willing to fight against the Isles much assistance and safety. We’ve been given food, clothing and places to stay while we’ve secretly prepared our offensive over the weeks. We’ve been allowed to blend in at much risk to those living here. It was never our intention to involve the locals in this fight, but they have willingly assisted.”

  “How did you two meet?” Nicholas asked.

  “That happened months after the Islanders first arrived last year,” Arch explained. “After some of us in the villages formed our first alliance, we would spy on the Islanders and learned of their plans to construct rafts to supply Vellan. One evening, a small group of us had been spied upon by three Islanders who followed us back home. Arteen was part of that trio. Anyway, to make a long story short, we learned of their efforts to thwart the leadership in the Northern Isles and eventually volunteered to help them in their cause.”

  Arteen smiled. “Fortunately for Arch and his companions, they were discovered by me and my friends. I dread to think what might have happened to them had some of my other colleagues caught them spying. Their little resistance movement would have been over before it started.”

  “It’s true,” Arch said. “Arteen and his followers have concealed knowledge of our involvement for our own protection. If the administrator on Karg Island ever suspected that we fed and housed them, or assisted them in their previous raid, he might have sent troops to the villages long ago and dealt with us in a not-so-pleasant way.”

  “Previous raid?” Nicholas glanced curiously at Arteen for an explanation. “What have you done prior to the planned takeover of the Bretic?�
�

  “Several weeks ago a group of us set fire to some half finished rafts and cut timber that had been left ashore awaiting the arrival of the next ship. It put them behind schedule for many days,” he said. “But since then, soldiers stay behind and guard their base until fresh troops arrive. Word got back to us through our network of spies that the administrator was on the verge of hysterics when learning that a rebellion had formed among his own people.”

  “So now you want to outdo yourselves with this next action.”

  “I think burning down the Bretic would accomplish that, Nicholas.” Arteen’s gaze was sober and unflinching.

  “You won’t reconsider?” Nicholas inquired, though merely for the sake of asking. He already knew that Arteen was fully committed to his course of action. He saw the same stubborn determination in Arch’s eyes as well. “And I’m just supposed to accept it? To return to Morrenwood and intercede with King Justin on your behalf?”

  “It’s only a suggestion,” Arch said. “But I implore you as a friend–though you might not think of me as such right now–to seriously consider what I’ve said. And sometime before next spring when more ships are likely to arrive, we’ll send a small delegation to Morrenwood to seek an audience with King Justin. Hopefully he will anticipate our arrival if he hears from you ahead of time, but that is ultimately in your hands.”

  Nicholas smirked at what he believed was Arch’s naïve belief in his influence with the King. “Even if King Justin heeded my plea for your cause, the outcome of the wars in Montavia and Rhiál will supersede everything. If our side fails to win those battles, there may soon be more ships than you can count sailing from the Isles and landing upon the shores of the Trillium up and down the entire coastline. Your situation here won’t even be an afterthought to Arrondale if that happens.”

  “Yet victory may find its way to both the war in the south and in Montavia,” Arch replied. “If that happens, Vellan will need all the reinforcements he can get from the Isles to protect himself in Kargoth. Our homes along the Crescent may be in the center of this conflict one day no matter which way the wars turn.”

  “No one knows what will happen,” Arteen said. “All we can do is prepare wisely.”

  Nicholas squinted against the dull glare, appearing perplexed. “If uncertainty is the case, then why do you assume that destroying the Bretic is the wisest course? Maybe you should save the ship to help fight the war if it spreads this way. That would send an equally powerful message to the Isles.” Nicholas clung to a last bit of hope that Arteen might see matters his way. He appealed to Arch’s desire to bolster relations with Arrondale. “Giving the ship to King Justin could be a show of good faith for this alliance you wish to create. That would surely get his attention to your cause.”

  “Perhaps,” Arch said, “but it is not my call, Nicholas. It’s ultimately up to Arteen and his men as to which path we’ll follow.”

  “Please reconsider,” Nicholas softly pleaded. “I must get to the Isles before it’s too late–though it may already be,” he added, nearly choking on his words. “Can’t you talk to the captain of the Bretic one more time? Surely he must have second thoughts about burning down his own ship.”

  Arteen shook his head. “Sorry, Nicholas, but it was Captain Kellig’s idea to destroy the Bretic, though it will pain him to do so. He has tried to change the way things operate from within, subtly of course, though with little success. But suspicions have grown as to his loyalty, so he’s decided to take this drastic action before he is found out.”

  Nicholas sighed in defeat as he watched the waves lap upon the shore. They reminded him of that awful night when Ivy was taken away upon a boat as her cries for help drowned in the night breezes. He looked askance at Arteen. “Is there a chance I could talk to Captain Kellig? Perhaps I could change his mind.”

  “I sincerely doubt that, Nicholas,” he replied. “Captain Kellig is steadfast and determined. He’s committed to this decision and means to send a fiery message to the Isles. Doing that, as well as putting Administrator Tarosius Lok in his place once and for all, is worth ending his career. He has told me so on several occasions–and all of them while sober,” he added with a laugh.

  Nicholas’ ears pricked up upon hearing the name Tarosius Lok. He stared at the sand beneath his feet, letting Arteen’s words swim around in his mind as a chill ran up his back. He slowly looked up at him, doing all he could to remain calm.

  “Did you just say the name Tarosius Lok?”

  Arteen nodded. “Yes. He’s the administrator on Karg Island. Captain Tarosius Lok, to be exact,” he said with a scornful smirk. “But his current position is a demotion if you asked him.”

  Nicholas was nonplussed. “So let me understand–Captain Lok is on Karg Island right now?” He pointed at the island across the water to emphasize his point. “That very island?”

  “Yes,” Arteen said with a shrug, wondering why Nicholas was emphasizing such a minor fact. “He’s been the administrator here for the last five weeks or so. The previous one had been in ill health for some time and was finally replaced.”

  “Five weeks?”

  “More or less.”

  “Why is that important to you?” Arch asked, noting Nicholas’ sudden pale complexion and dazed demeanor. “Are you feeling ill?”

  “No,” he whispered, sorting through a few details in his mind before a faint smile appeared on his face. “Ivy was kidnapped above the grasslands fifty-one days ago. It was the twenty-second day of New Autumn and I’ll never forget it. That’s a little over five and a half weeks ago.”

  Arteen raised an eyebrow. “And that means…?”

  Nicholas took a step closer to the men, speaking softly to them as if revealing a huge secret while trying to contain his excitement at the same time. Arch noticed that his hands were trembling.

  “When I rescued Ivy from her tent that night, we talked for a few moments in the tall grass,” he said. “Ivy mentioned that she was going to be sailing away under the watchful eye of a man named Tarosius Lok, but she didn’t know to where. He had been ordered to keep her under guard since they all believed she was Princess Megan. I just assumed they would sail back to the Northern Isles. But I never learned anything more because we had to move quickly to escape. After reuniting with Leo, the Island soldiers were soon after us. We were attacked in the tall grass and…” Nicholas took a deep breath, recalling the painful memories. “Ivy was taken away and I lost consciousness trying to save her. When I awoke hours later, the ship was gone. I could only imagine with horror that Ivy was sailing across the sea to the Northern Isles, alone, frightened and wondering if she would ever see her home again.”

  Arch looked on in disbelief. “You mean Ivy might be on Karg Island right now?”

  “That’s what I’m hoping,” Nicholas said, unable to conceal a smile. “As Arteen said, Captain Lok arrived here shortly after that ship had departed from the grasslands. There wouldn’t have been time to return to the Isles first. And if Lok was supposed to keep Ivy under guard for safekeeping, what better place than here close to the mainland where she could be retrieved quickly if needed.”

  “That’s an incredible story,” Arteen said. “And though I didn’t see Lok’s ship arrive as I was deep in the forest on one of our missions, I did get word later about what had happened. It was Commander Uta’s ship, the Hara Nor, that brought Lok to Karg Island,” he clarified. “It had only anchored here for one day before departing, leaving behind a very miserable Tarosius Lok and presumably your friend, Ivy.” He chuckled. “I later learned that a Captain Burlu was originally supposed to take over as administrator and that Lok was scheduled to participate on some important mission with Commander Uta himself. But for whatever reason, Lok was sent here and Burlu was awarded the assignment in his stead. No doubt Captain Lok was the victim of his own arrogance and ill-spoken words. His reputation for such is well known among the naval ranks.”

  “I don’t really care what the reason was,” Nicholas
replied. “I just need to get on Karg Island.” He locked gazes with Arteen. “Burn that ship to the water if you’d like, just take me with you first. I’ll swim to Karg Island from there.”

  “I’ve no objection, though we’ll have to find you some appropriate attire as we’ll all be dressed in our uniforms and overcoats,” Arteen said, glancing at Arch.

  “Oh, that shouldn’t be a problem,” Arch replied as he casually folded his arms and smiled at Nicholas who burst out with a grin. “Thanks to my sister, I know of a suitable Island coat that’ll fit Nicholas perfectly.”

  CHAPTER 60

  The Bretic and the Hara Nor

  The following day, Arch Boland met with eight contacts from the Northern Isles who secretly resided in Illingboc and Braiden, the adjacent village north along the coast. Nicholas traveled with him to a few houses and farmsteads as Arch informed his people about the plan to take the Bretic in two nights. He listened closely and asked questions as he would be accompanying them on the raid.

  “Arteen and his men will be waiting here with three large rafts to take you across,” Arch told each individual, indicating on a map where to meet. “Captain Kellig and members of his crew will be ready with rope ladders to bring you on board the ship. But you must be swift. Though there is only a small crew left on the Bretic for the return trip to the Isles, less than half are loyal to the captain. The others still offer their allegiance to Administrator Lok. They must be subdued at once.”

  Twilight deepened into night when Nicholas and Arch returned home after contacting all the men in the two villages. Arteen had assigned others to inform the remaining men living in the villages farther down shore. Nicholas noted a contented expression upon Arch’s face in the light of the nearly full Fox Moon, yet detected that the man wasn’t completely satisfied with their progress.

  “What’s the matter, Arch? You seem less than enthused now that we’re ready to move forward with the plan.” Nicholas tasted the cool night air and felt the rumble of the horses as they galloped onward. “Worried that it won’t work?”