by Lyndon Hardy
“We serve the person of the fair lady,” Grengor said quietly in reply. “Until she gives us direction otherwise, we will follow the command of master Alodar. You bail as well as any man among us, lord Feston, but it is lady Aeriel’s page who has seen us safely through the storm.”
“And that is the truth, Vendora,” Aeriel cut in. “Just as at Iron Fist, the thaumaturge has proven his worth to the crown of Procolon. Let the deed and not the station be your guide, my fair lady.”
“I am not so dim of sight or slow of mind as you sometimes make me, Aeriel,” Vendora said, pulling erect and drawing her robe about her. She looked slowly about the ring of Alodar’s marines, each grim-faced and with a hand on sword hilt. “I observed with care the events of the past days. Indeed, the man has acted well in behalf of the crown. But tell me, Alodar, how did you know, when none else did, that the barge would founder?”
“In truth, my fair lady,” Alodar said, “I do not know that it did. The helm may have been repaired or the patches held. The barge still may be plying the seas, having ridden out the storm as well as we. Yet, to determine with certainty the seaworthiness of the vessel could well have been fatal. I made the decision that I felt I had to.”
“And then, instead of possible comfort in my stateroom on board, where has your decision brought your liege?” Vendora said.
“To the uplands north of Bardina—north of the boundaries of Procolon itself—my fair lady,” Grengor cut in. “I campaigned here in your father’s time and recognize the black oak which creeps down from the hillside.”
“My fair lady,” Basil said, “perhaps this makeshift alchemist has served you well these past days, but we are by no means safe from major peril. Our voyage was for aid to stop the forces that threaten to overrun the kingdom. In the west we fight no less than demons, and our army makes no headway in dislodging the grip of their crazed servants from the land. And from the south march even more, to stab at the heart of Procolon.”
He paused and looked about the landscape. “We cannot chance another voyage across a sorcerer-watched sea in such a little craft. And little time remains to return to Ambrosia for one more seaworthy. Our one hope now lies in recruiting to our cause the barbaric nomads who aimlessly roam these lands. And only by statesmanship and bribery can we bend their primitive passions to our will. Fortunately for you, my fair lady, watersoaked though this tunic is, it still safely protects many a jewel of great value. Appoint me leader, and I will see you safely home in triumph.”
“If the danger is as black as you paint it,” Duncan said, before Vendora could reply, “then a handful of jewels will be no guarantee against the treachery of these simple-minded ones. Permit me to be always at your side, my fair lady, and with my sphere and command of the others about me, no matter what happens, your safety can be assured.”
“Enough, enough!” Vendora cried, with a hint of irritation in her voice. “We must deal first with the matter of Alodar’s recompense for services duly rendered. I doubt that any of you would act with such decision, faced with the question of abandoning ship. Indeed you did not. Such boldness must not be stifled, but rather it should be encouraged. Tell me Alodar, what boon do you wish from your queen?”
Alodar breathed deeply and then replied with a rush. “You speak of boldness, my fair lady, and it encourages me to speak of my driving quest.”
With a sweep of his hands, he turned and addressed the entire assemblage as well as the queen. “You all know that lord Feston accompanied the fair lady from the confines of the siege at Iron Fist, and for his effort he was made no less than suitor for her hand in marriage. Then Basil the apothecary, armed with the treasures secured at real peril from the Fumus Mountains, earned like status for his aid to the power of the throne of Procolon. And finally, Duncan of the Cycloid Guild offered the fair lady protection most magical; and for this, he too is suitor for her hand. My fair lady, though my deed may in your mind not compare with these, my desire is yet no less. I too seek your most royal favor and your hand.”
Vendora threw back her head in a peal of laughter. “Ah Alodar,” she said at last. “You do lighten the weariness that hangs so heavily upon me. But stay, your words are well chosen, and by logic’s laws you have saved and prospered the life of the queen as well as any. Stand forward by the fire so that I can note you better.”
Alodar slowly rose and approached the queen, his heart pounding with the little energy that remained in him. He felt every impulse to glance away as she stared, but he held his gaze level, looking back at her squarely.
“You are comely looking enough,” Vendora said, as she turned to face the others. “My good company, may I present Alodar, suitor for the hand of the queen of Procolon.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Alodar Enchanted
ALODAR stretched his legs and smiled. The weariness of their journey still hung over him, and the meager morning meal did little for his hunger, but he was content. He flexed his fingers in the coarse sand just inches away from Vendora’s arm.
He looked about the camp. Only Grengor and a few of his marines remained. The rest were away, scouting the surrounding hills for signs of the nomads. Down the beach, Aeriel stood alone, staring out to sea. Behind a nearby dune, Kelric had yet to stir from his slumber.
Alodar shot a sideways glance at Vendora while she idly scraped a bit of beach tar from her gown. He had come this far from the most humble beginnings, spurred on only by hopes and dreams. To rank finally above them all must be within his grasp, if becoming a suitor ever was. It was only a matter of seizing the opportunity.
Alodar looked to the north and saw the line of hills slowly converge upon the sea. The beach narrowed to a slender ribbon and then terminated abruptly against a rocky point that cut off the view. Back to the west, a sprinkle of vegetation dotted the slopes, chokecherry and spicebush still green beneath the bare branches of oaks and dogwoods that yielded to pines and cedars as the elevation climbed. At the limit of vision, a hint of snowy whiteness mingled with the hazy purples of the great mountains that thrust into the interior.
Alodar lazily scanned the panorama a second time. As he looked to the lower hills, he caught sight of one of the scouting parties that had left at dawn. He squinted into the morning light, trying to resolve some detail, and decided finally that the specks slowly bobbing his way must be Basil and his retainers. As they drew closer and confirmed his guess, he sat upright and then pointed at the approaching figures.
“Look, Grengor,” he said. “Basil does not return empty handed. He left with two followers but there seem to be four men marching back to camp.”
“And by the looks of the last,” Grengor replied, “he journeys as a captive rather than a friend. It is not an auspicious beginning, if we are to convert all of these wild northmen to our cause.”
Everyone turned to watch Basil’s progress; several minutes later he puffed into the camp. “My fair lady,” he said, as he rushed to the queen, “already I prove the great worth of my wealth to your crown. Behold, I bring forth your first new subject from the wastelands.”
Basil paused to catch his breath, and Alodar looked at the captive. His hair was matted in snarls; even though no breeze was blowing, Alodar caught the pungent odor of his body. His chest and legs were bare. The muscles trembled in his arms as he strained against the cords which bound his hands together behind his back. He looked around the circle of armed men, and his expression stiffened into a mask of defiance when he returned Basil’s stare.
“The barbarian’s mouth dropped when I showed him a few samples of my gems,” Basil continued. “Great treasures were back in his camp and a fair trade for a few of the jewels could surely be made, he claimed. And while he fingered them, it was simple enough for my followers to overpower him from behind and drag him here.”
Basil stopped and looked at the dying embers of the fire. “And I think that there is sufficient means in camp to make him tell us the rest of what we must know.” His eyes widened and he li
cked his lips as he pushed a coal aside with his boot. “Where the rest of his group is hiding and how many they may be. It can be found in a few hours, if you know how.”
“But the gift of one of your pretty stones would have been simple enough,” Grengor interrupted. “And far less trouble than torturing one who probably would have dealt in good faith. I do not care for how you have acted in behalf of the fair lady, apothecary, and even less for what you propose to do.”
Basil turned and faced the marine. “The temporary success of your master has weakened your judgment, sergeant,” he said. “As you apparently have forgotten, Procolon is in grave danger of being overrun. We do not have time to barter for days with each scattered tribe that we meet. We must convince them in haste to harken to our banner, using whatever tools prove most expedient. And the fair lady will reward the suitor who provides the army to save her crown, not the one who labors over some petty distinction for what is just.” He stopped and looked back at the prisoner. “Besides, he is as likely to be a treacherous brigand as a simple wanderer. There is no other way in which we may proceed.”
“What about enchantment?” Alodar said suddenly. “He could hold nothing back if under the charm of a sorcerer. If his tribe proves friendly, then he can be freed.”
“Kelric would attempt no such feat when fully in health and in the comfort of Ambrosia.” Basil waved the words aside. “He certainly will not try such an adventure now.”
“I was not thinking of Kelric,” Alodar replied coldly. “I have studied enough that I am willing to give the charm a try.”
“An idle bluff,” Basil shot back. “The fair lady will not be fooled by such blatant attempts to win further favor.”
“It is not a bluff,” Alodar said. “I have been successful with far-seeing. There is no reason why I cannot enchant as well.”
Before Basil could reply, Vendora rose and extended her palm for silence. She looked at Alodar and smoothed a loose curl in place. “Kelric never wavered in expounding the difficulties of his craft,” she said. “And even in his prime, his enchantments numbered less than a dozen. Can you really perform as you claim?”
Alodar looked back into Vendora’s eyes. “I have never attempted it before, my fair lady,” he said, “but my studies thus far have increased my confidence so that I feel there is a reasonable chance of success. If you would prefer touching the nomad’s mind, rather than tearing his body, then I shall attempt it.”
Vendora’s eyes narrowed, and then she looked back at Basil. “If Alodar indeed can effect such enchantment, then it is a skill which I can employ well in my service,” she said. “I thank you, Basil, for your efforts in my behalf, but I judge it is in my best interest if you turn the prisoner over to the aspiring sorcerer.”
Basil’s scowl deepened, and he stood silently for a long moment. Finally, with a wave of disgust, he spun and tromped off to the other side of the firepit. His followers pushed the barbarian forward, and the nomad pitched to his knees at Alodar’s feet.
“Get Melab,” Alodar said to Grengor, “and prepare to hold the prisoner steady. I will consult with Kelric and learn what I must know.”
Alodar ran up the beach to the low ridge where Kelric slept. He touched the sorcerer’s arm and gently rocked him back and forth. The flesh felt hot; as the eyes slowly opened, Alodar touched the bare forehead and frowned.
“Ah, my sugar plum,” Kelric’s voice wheezed. “Are you so impatient for more that you disturb my sleep?”
“It is only your student,” Alodar said. “And I interrupt your rest on service to the queen.”
Kelric started to reply but gagged instead and then coughed spasmodically for several minutes. He shook awake and widened his eyes as he recognized Alodar hovering over him. “Not more sorcery,” he whispered at last. “You push too hard, Alodar, and will end in no better condition than I.”
“I wish that Basil carried with him the substance of his trade, rather than the tokens of his wealth,” Alodar said, ignoring the sorcerer’s words. “With the proper ingredients, I could brew an alchemical potion to cool the fever and purge your sickness. But neither my thaumaturgy or Duncan’s magic sphere can offer any aid.”
Kelric shrugged and rattled out a deep sigh. “It is far less discomforting than if I attempted one charm too many,” he said, “and the visions that swim before my eyes are as good as any I have had when in a trance. Let it be, Alodar. Even though a sorcerer can see the workings of fate, he cannot alter them.”
Alodar looked back over his shoulder to the firepit. Grengor and Melab struggled to hold the captive in a sitting position, and Vendora stood with her hands on her hips, looking Alodar’s way.
“I was successful with the cantrip last night,” Alodar said. “Even the third repetition came without much difficulty. The queen now has need for an enchantment, and I feel I am ready to attempt it.”
“No, Alodar,” Kelric said weakly. “Do not be misled just because one charm seems to progress well. You were probably fatigued and your senses dull. If you tried the very same cantrip fully alert, you might find it beyond your power to complete it.”
Kelric raised one shaky hand and motioned Alodar closer to his head. “And the enchantment of a mind as complex as a man’s is too large a step,” he continued softly. “I studied for two years before my mentor judged me proficient enough to try it. If you have seen afar for the first time less than a day ago, then you must rest instead, before pursuing anything more.”
“But it is for the queen,” Alodar said, “and the favor that I hope to find in her eyes because of it.”
“Ah, the fair lady.” Kelric choked out a laugh. “Even I have not dared dream so high.” His chest heaved with effort for several moments more, and then he slowly shook his head. “In my youth, it was always just one charm more,” he said. “Just one more and my power would be great enough that men would bow their heads with respect and my choice of the ladies would be a pleasant confusion.” He shook his head a second time. “You state that you do this for the queen, Alodar, but in the end I doubt that she will behave differently than any other.”
He stopped and looked Alodar in the eye and saw the resolution. “But I recognize the fierceness that cannot be denied,” he sighed at last. “And there will be little more that I will teach you. If you must know of enchantments, then listen to my words well.”
Kelric whispered the charm, and Alodar concentrated intently to remember the strange pattern of words. It was only a third the length of the cantrip for far-seeing. After a short while, he returned to Vendora and the others. He looked about and raised his brows in surprise as they all stepped back and flung their arms over their eyes. He coiled into a cross-legged position and directed Grengor and Melab to set the captive before him. While the two marines held the nomad’s head steady and pressed his eyelids open, Alodar began the charm.
The first recital went smoothly enough; but from the first word of the second repetition, Alodar felt the beginning of the resistance. He spoke half a dozen words correctly, then almost gagged as he attempted the next. He tried to force his tongue flat in the bottom of his mouth, but spasms of nausea forced his lips closed each time he pursed them into a circle. He braced himself, concentrated on the next three in succession and finally forced them out.
He licked his spray-chapped lips, and beads of perspiration broke out on his forehead. The rest of the charm faded away. Almost in panic, he mentally grabbed at the chain of words as they seemed to disappear down a hole in his memory. He focused on the next and brought it back into sharpness. By holding his breath, he kept his stomach calm. With excruciating slowness, he finished the second recital.
Alodar felt dizzy. A chilling numbness ran up and down his legs. His tired body protested the abuse. The thought that the strain would only increase began to weigh heavily on his mind. He broke the starting word of the final repetition into syllables and concentrated on uttering the first correctly. But each time he opened his mouth, his lips trembled and h
e fought to force back the rumbles of his stomach. He gasped like a man choking and beat his fist into the sand to pop the sound free, but it would not come. For several minutes he struggled, his arms twitching and his eyes stinging with salty tears. A dull pain started to throb in the base of his neck and pulse upwards between his ears as the realization that he might not finish began to form.
In desperation Alodar flailed about and untied the pouch with the sphere from his side. He grasped the coldness and held it at eye level, hoping somehow to tap its reputed powers to aid in finishing the charm. He stared at the closed eye, but his thoughts crackled with tenseness. The strange feeling that poured over him outside of the Cycloid Guild would not come.
With a final effort he twisted his lips into the correct form and squeezed his sides. A raspy growl dribbled from his mouth and then his head seemed to explode in a flash of light, as if he had been struck by a well-aimed mace. A searing pain raced through his body. With a feeling of his skin being stripped away, he slid from consciousness.
“The queen explicitly left him in our custody,” a voice shouted angrily.
“Then you did not discharge your duty with much competence,” a second answered. “Well, we have what we need to know, and one barbarian life more or less does not matter.’”
Alodar blinked his eyes open and then quickly squeezed them shut again. He moved his head slowly to the side and felt a sudden throbbing that continued unabated for several minutes. He wrapped his arms about his stomach, but the pressure did not help, and he kept his lips firmly pressed together, trying to force back the queasiness. Kelric had been right; he had pushed too far and misspun the enchantment.
Alodar felt a gentle touch on his brow and cracked one lid open to see Aeriel bending over him. “You have been in a swoon for over a day,” she said. “And during the night, Basil carried out the rest of his plan.”