“Ho, Ash!” A man that resembled a beer keg on legs came out of the nearby building, a hammer in one hand and his beard full of wood shavings. He had laugh lines around his eyes and a look to him that said he’d be a fine man to know. “Well, you’ve brought me some good wood, it looks like. But I told you to get three dozen trees, you young whelp, not six! What am I supposed to do with all of this?”
“Build some houses,” Ash suggested dryly. “Unless you want all our new citizens living in tents the rest of their lives?”
“Well, now, that’s a thought. I won’t pay you for the wood we’ll use on the wall, but I’ll pay you for the rest of it.”
Ash nodded, agreeable. “Pay me for it as you use it. Tennon, this is Broden Ravenscroft and his daughter, Riana. They’ve come to join us in building Estole.”
Tennon extended a hand, which Broden took in a firm clasp. “Welcome, both of you! From where do you hail?”
“Cloud’s Rest,” Riana responded, also clasping hands with the man. She did not flinch under his grip, which could have crushed boulders. “May harmony find ye.”
“Is that right?” Tennon looked them both over more carefully. “Mostly bandits live up there, I hear.”
“Ye hear right.” Broden gave him a dry, tight-lipped smile. Mayhap they should not have mentioned where they hailed from.
“Then no doubt you’re good with those bows.” Tennon gave a shrewd look at them. “My son’s got a shop down this street, and he’d be a good one to get arrows and the like from. Ryer is his name.”
Oh? Not the reaction Broden had expected. He gave the man a grateful nod. “I will mind that. Me thanks, we be both running low.”
Tennon gave him a brief smile, barely detectable under that thick bushel of hair, before saying to Ash, “Your brother and sister have been scheming while you’ve been gone.”
Ash actually blanched. “Didn’t anyone try to stop them? What did they do?”
“Oh, it’s a shorter list to say what they haven’t done,” Tennon drawled, not looking at all worried. “So far as I know, they haven’t killed anyone. But I’d suggest finding them quickly. Only one that can talk sense into those two is you.”
Growling under his breath, Ash said a quick thanks before spinning on his heel and walking quickly toward the main street. Broden had to stretch out a mite to keep pace with him, and Riana had to jog. It became even more of a challenge to keep pace with the man when they entered the street proper, as the place seemed fit to burst with people. Broden finally put Riana between him and Ash, shielding her from the brunt of people’s elbows and making sure they all kept together.
At some point, Ash must have realized that he could lose them in the crowd, as he slowed his pace, glancing back over his shoulder. Seeing them have to fight their way through, he reached back and silently grabbed Riana’s hand in a tight grip, making sure he had her at least. Broden grabbed her shoulder, taking the lad’s cue, and then they kept blazing a trail forward.
It did not escape his notice that a pretty blush stained his daughter’s cheeks. Then again, this was the first time a man had ever held her hand, no matter what the reason. Frowning, he promised himself that he and Ash would have a nice, quiet chat. Soon.
They skirted around something that looked like a main market, into a side street, and then changed streets again, heading toward the mansion-castle. Broden’s head spun at the quick changes in directions. If he did not find a way to mark the place in his memory soon, he’d wind up roaming the town forever and a day without an understanding of how to get back.
On the way there, they’d spoken briefly about how things would be set up and where they’d stay when they arrived, but Ash had not mentioned anything more than You’ll stay with me and my sister, of course. Broden now realized that answer left much wanting. Where, exactly, did the two wizards stay? Surely not… His gaze traveled up the tall stone walls, and his mind refused to wrap its way around the notion that he’d live in a castle.
No. What Tennon said had scared Ash into finding the new king first. Aye, that be it. He’d get them sorted once he figured out what his sister and king had been up to.
They barely breached the iron gates, which looked to be more for decoration than protection, before a voice boomed out, “ASH!”
Ash stopped dead, head whipping about. “Edvard! What have you been doing while I’ve been gone?”
A man of an age with Ash stepped out from behind a knot of uniformed guards and toward them. He, too, wore a uniform of dark grey, looking sharp and pristine. His hair was dark, eyes a penetrating dark blue, skin tanned from many hours in the sun. He had the looks of a player, that one, although his smile was genuine and not at all haughty. So. This was the new king, eh?
Broden watched him as the man approached, weighing him. He certainly knew how to carry the sword on his hip, so he was no pushover. Better still, he was courteous to the people around him. Several times, as people crossed his path, he’d stop to let them go or step around them, instead of making anyone stop for him. That silent kindness spoke well of the man.
The new king took note of Ash’s hand on Riana’s, which made Ash flush slightly and abruptly drop it. Broden found that bit interesting as well. So, the man was not used to being in a woman’s company? Considering his looks and occupation, Broden would have thought the man had women beating down his door.
But no one remarked on Ash’s blush. As soon as he was within proper hearing distance, Edvard said, “Something had to be done about the crime rate, Ash. It was totally out of hand.”
“I agree, but what did you do?” Ash demanded.
“Well, after due consideration, I appointed Ashlynn as temporary Sheriff of Estole.”
“You appointed Ashlynn as Sheriff?” Ash demanded incredulously.
“Why are you so surprised?” Edvard laughed, not at all worried. “She adores beating people up on justice’s behalf. The job suits her admirably.”
“Yes, but Edvard, she has no mercy! She’s ruthless with people that are in the wrong.”
“I know. Crime’s dropped fifty percent since yesterday. Our sister is amazingly efficient. People are starting to tremble just from the sound of her name.” Edvard took pride in this as well as amusement. “Now, who’s standing behind you?”
Belatedly remembering his manners, Ash reluctantly tabled the discussion of his twin for now and turned. “This is Riana Ravenscroft and her da, Broden Ravenscroft. I found them in Cloud’s Rest. Riana, Broden, this is Edvard Knolton, King of Estole.”
Edvard held out a hand to him as if it were a natural thing. “Broden Ravenscroft, I greet you.”
Broden took the man’s hand in a firm grip, pleased with the calluses he could feel on the other man’s palm. This was a man that knew how to work hard. “Edvard Knolton, I greet ye. May harmony find ye.”
“Riana Ravenscroft, I greet you.”
“Edvard Knolton, may harmony find ye.”
Ash barely contained himself until the pleasantries were out of the way before blurting, “Edvard.” His tone vibrated with renewed excitement. “They can both be wizard-partners.”
Edvard went from polite to intensely interested in a split beat. “Is that right? Then, you are both very welcome. I’ve worried about my wizards’ safety, what with everything going on. It occurred to me after Ash left that he was too vulnerable to normal attacks. If Iysh thought to send assassins after my wizards, they’d have a good chance of succeeding.”
So. The new king was not a complete fool. He was thinking ahead, trying to anticipate what his enemy would do.
“Which of you will partner with which?” Edvard inquired. “Have you decided?”
“Ah, no, King,” Riana responded with cautious courtesy. She clearly had no idea how to address him. “We thought we’d try it both ways for a while, see which we like best.”
“Edvard is fine,” he assured her gently. “After all, you’ll be closely tied with my blood-siblings, so you’ll basically be part of my
family. Well, if you haven’t made any decisions—actually, does Ashlynn know about this?”
“Not yet,” Ash denied. “I haven’t seen her.”
“Then I’ll let you tell her and sort things out.” He stopped and appraised them openly for a long moment. “Those bows over your shoulders, are they your primary weapons?”
“Aye,” Broden said. And waited for the king’s reaction.
“Forgive me for asking this, but since two very dear people are going to be in your hands shortly…how good are you?”
“Good,” Broden said without false modesty or embarrassment.
“I can vouch for that,” Ash piped up. “I was set upon by bandits outside of Cloud’s Rest, and these two took the whole lot of them down before I was properly aware I was surrounded. It’s why I was so adamant about dragging them here.”
“Is that so.” Edvard took this in, taking Ash’s word for it. At least, for now. “Then I’m doubly glad to have you. We’ve had need of good archers recently. I’d like to see your skills for myself soon.”
“That’d be fine,” Riana assured him.
Edvard looked at her, head cocked slightly. “I’m especially curious to see how good you are, fair maiden. But I will set my curiosity aside for the moment. I can’t stay here much longer; there’s trouble brewing that I must deal with. Before I leave, a request. Master Broden, if you would partner with Ashlynn for the time being? You look like a formidable man, and our Ashlynn, while capable, is not the type to induce fear in a villain’s heart. It’d be best if she has someone who looks strong next to her while she deals with criminals.”
Broden could see the sense in that, if Ashlynn were the type to look pretty and not a fighter, same as his Riana. “Aye, that I can do.”
“Many thanks. I have a million things to see to before the sun sets, but I want you both at my table for dinner so that I can talk to you more and get to know you. Ash, make sure of it.”
Blood-siblings they might have been, but Ash clearly respected the man as a leader, as he accepted this order with a respectful, “Of course.”
Edvard beamed at them and said simply, “Welcome.”
“Our thanks for the welcome,” Broden responded, hoping it was an appropriate thing to say. Really, how does a man talk to a new king that wants you to call him by name?
With a last smile, Edvard turned and went back to his soldiers.
Ash rubbed a hand over his face in a weary, frustrated gesture. “Let’s go inside, get something hot to eat, and change into clean clothes. I’ll call Ashlynn and have her meet us in our rooms.”
“Call?” Broden repeated blankly. Did the man mean to sound a horn or some such?
“Magic.”
“Ah.” That was answer enough for him.
Turning, the wizard led the way through the gates. As he did so, he picked up the gold amulet that hung about his neck and put it near his lips. “Ashlynn? Yes, I’m home. I have a lot to tell you and two people to introduce to you, so can you meet us in our rooms? Thanks. No, it’s all good news. Right? For once, it’s all good news. Sure.”
Broden let these words flow past his ears without any real notice as he took in the courtyard. Fancy-looking place. Lots of little stone benches, water fountains, and pretty flowerbeds here and there. The whole lot was covered in granite flagstone. He’d have no qualm eating a meal off the stones, the place was kept so clean. Quite a feat to manage with all the chaos outside.
Ash led them confidently across the courtyard and to a door that was thick as a man’s arm, carved elaborately with a family crest. Edvard’s family crest, belike. When they went through, the inside was filled with more polished flagstone, flowers in vases on every surface, and arched ceilings overhead. It felt like walking into a mountain cathedral, it did. The air felt slightly cooler in here, damper, as if the sun could not warm the inside of this house in spite of all the windows.
Riana seemed to find it pretty, judging from that look on her face. He could only see all the places a good assassin could hide. Worse, the place was near impossible to sneak through. Every footstep he made rang like a dull bell.
They went directly up a flight of stairs without pausing, then down a short hallway and to the last door, this one a thinner version of the one downstairs. Ash pushed it open, saying as he did, “You’re welcome to wait here for a moment. I’ll have someone send some food up. There’s a room just through there,” he raised a hand to point, “if you want to wash up and change.”
After three days on the road with no soap to wash with, Broden admitted a chance to scrub up and change clothes would be a fine thing.
“Be back in a few moments,” Ash promised before scooting past them and heading back downstairs.
This room did not look like the rest of the place. It felt more homey and welcoming. There were worn-in chairs near a fireplace, soft rugs on the floor, and even a whole bookshelf full of books, which was a rare sight. Broden felt more relaxed here than anywhere else in Estole.
“Daughter?” he asked with a cock of the head toward the inner door.
“Oh, if ye be offering, I will take it.” With a wink, she slipped through the door and shut it behind her. Only a split second later, he heard a moan of bliss and her voice floating through the wood, “Da, there be hot water in here!”
He chuckled. “The man be a wizard, dearheart, what did ye expect? For him to wash in cold?”
She ignored him, too wound-up in hot water, soap, and privacy. Shaking his head and chuckling, he doffed his pack, bow, quiver, and coat off to the side before sitting in a chair near the fireplace. Little more than embers glowed in the hearth, but it felt good to sit on something padded.
He enjoyed the silence and privacy after having three days of neither. Ah, it be a fine thing for a man to have space with his own thoughts for a spell. If he had a tankard to balance on his knee and a fire going, it would be even better.
So, that had been the new king, eh? He struck Broden as a good sort, like Tennon—a man that would be a decent neighbor and friend. He was not arrogant or self-important, but seemed kind, as Ash had described him. Of course, Broden had sort of expected him to be. A man that could inspire thousands of people to rebel against Iysh would have to be likeable.
The patter of light footsteps came from the other side of the door. Broden’s ear cocked in that direction and he frowned. That was not Ash returning. It could be the twin, or it could be someone else altogether. Not one to be caught unawares, he got to his feet. Taking up quiver and bow, he nocked an arrow and stood waiting as the door flung open.
A pretty blonde woman around the age of his Riana took a step inside the room before she abruptly halted, blue eyes flaring wide. She dropped into a fighter’s stance—with glowing hands. This must be Ash’s twin. The resemblance between the two was uncanny.
“Who are you?” she demanded, voice light and smooth even though she clearly meant to sound threatening.
“Broden Ravenscroft, I be. Be I speaking to Ashlynn Fallbright?”
“You are,” she answered, suspicions not eased a whit.
“Ah, that be fine, then.” He lowered the bow and restored the arrow to the quiver. “Yer brother brought us here, me daughter and me.”
She took him in from head to toe, eyes lingering on the bow still in his hands. “Is that right. And why would he do that?”
“He has a notion or two about us being partners for ye both.”
Her mouth fell open. “Partners?!”
“Aye. Me and me daughter, we stood within his shield without flinching. Felt nice, actually. After he saw that, he dragged us here, taking nothing but ‘aye’ for an answer.”
Her eyes darted to his forehead. “I see two marks on you. Come here, let me take them off. I want to test this for myself.”
Amiable, he crossed over to her. “Be yer magic so different from his, then?”
“Well, not really. But that’s because we’re twins. Most wizards’ magic is different from wielder to wie
lder. Which is why not all partners can change to a different wizard.”
Made sense. No two men were just alike, after all.
With nothing more than a flick of the fingers and a muttered word, Ashlynn removed both marks that Ash had set. Then she raised her shield with him still standing almost nose-to-nose with her. He blinked at the speed of it, but it did not feel any different from the last shield he’d been inside.
Ashlynn stared up at him in wonder. “Storm and winds, I see why he dragged you here! You really don’t think anything of it. Amazing. I’ve never seen a man better suited to being a partner than you. And you say your daughter is just like you?”
“Aye. She be the first one to test it.”
Something that could have been tears welled in Ashlynn’s clear blue eyes. She blinked and stepped back, her shield dissipating. “It’s a relief to meet you, Broden Ravenscroft. I cannot tell you how much. I assume that Ash has tested you and you’ve proven to be a good fighter?”
“Aye. Saved him from a dozen bandits.”
“That’s proof enough,” she agreed with a dry smile. “Well. Will you partner with him, then?”
“We have no’ decided on partners yet,” he cautioned her. “But yer king requested I go with ye at first. He said I could scare people in line by just standing next to ye.”
“Oh.” Ashlynn gave him another sweep of the eyes. “It’s true; you look perfectly capable of breaking bones. I certainly wouldn’t choose to cross you. People don’t tend to take me seriously until I start breaking buildings.”
The casual way she said that sent a chill up his spine. Break buildings?
“So you met Edvard already? Good. Before we go out, I’d like to meet your daughter, perhaps spar with both of you to get a feel for how you move. Then I’ll explain the situation as best I can before we go back out again. Is that fine with you?”
Arrows Of Change (Book 1) Page 5