They made another turn, and the heat of the fire hit him like an open furnace. The smell of things burning choked up his throat and set his eyes to watering. Swearing, he quickly grabbed a kerchief from his pocket and wet it down with what little was left in his water pouch before tying it around his mouth and nose. He’d been around enough forest fires to know that a man could choke to death on smoke, if he inhaled enough of it.
The kerchief helped some, but he could still smell smoke strongly, so he could only hope that whatever magic Ashlynn did to put this fire out worked quickly.
His wizard stopped abruptly in the street, her horse’s hooves skittering a bit on the cobblestone road, and stood in her stirrups. Raising both hands, she called something out in that magical tongue of hers, and the air around them glowed as if she had set another fire blazing.
Then, all at once, the fires went out. She said another spell, and a strong wind blew through the streets, chasing all of the smoke away so that Broden could finally see what was in front of him.
It was not a pretty sight.
Every building on the street looked scorched at the very least, black climbing up the walls and licking the rooftops. The street was filthy with smoke and ash, and the people even more so, looking like charwomen. Some of the buildings had gaping holes in them where the fire had eaten away at the walls, but most of them seemed not truly damaged. At least, from here it seemed that way. Broden prayed it was so.
Ashlynn looked about her, eyes peeled, then nodded in satisfaction. “It’s out.” Lifting the amulet from her neck, she asked, “Can anyone tell me if there’s another fire in the city?”
Broden was close enough to hear the reply, “Ashlynn, are you back already?!”
“I am, brother-dear. We’ll hug each other later. Are there anymore fires?”
“Did you get the one on Tavern Row?”
“Yes. It’s out.”
“Thank all the gods. There were two set, and I had to choose between that one and the one near the lumber yard.”
Ashlynn blanched. “A fire broke out at the lumber yard?”
Broden understood her reaction all too well. If there was any part of the city that should NOT have fire anywhere near it, it was there. Way too much kindling set about in neat piles, just like an oversized bonfire ready to be lit.
“Please, please tell me not a lot of damage was done.”
“We lost about three logs that I’d lumbered in Cloud’s Rest, but the lumber yard itself is intact and no one got hurt. I count that as a win. What about you? How much damage is there?”
“Not much,” she answered, eyes roving the area as she spoke. “Some scorched walls, maybe a hole or two here and there, but the place is more or less intact. It won’t take much to fix.”
“I am beyond relieved to hear it. Now, when did you get here?”
“Just now. Tell me that everyone’s safe?”
“Nothing major had happened since I talked to you yesterday. Well, not until the fires broke out. We’re all safe. Tell Broden that Riana is just fine. I don’t want him hunting me down later.”
Broden’s lips twitched in a quick smile as he pulled the kerchief off his face. Wise man to say that now.
Ashlynn glanced back, saw his expression, and winked at him before assuring her brother, “He heard you. I’ll meet you back in our rooms, alright? I need a hot meal and a change of clothes at the very least before we sit down with Edvard. I think we need to have an emergency meeting and come up with a strategy to deal with all of this. Otherwise we’ll be only reacting to the Iyshian king’s attacks, and we can’t keep doing that and win.”
“I agree completely. I’ll meet you there.”
Riana watched as Ash dropped the amulet. In between the shouting of the men looking for the source of the fire and the general confusion as people tried to clear out the charred wood, she hadn’t caught more than one word in five. But from what she could hear, and that expression of relief on Ash’s face, it seemed the other wizard-pairing was back.
Coming up to him, she caught his arm and asked, “Da and Ashlynn?”
“Back safe,” Ash assured her, the first genuine smile on his face in days. “In fact, Ashlynn went straight to Tavern Row and dealt with the fire there. She says there’s some damage, but we didn’t lose that section of the city.”
Riana sent up a prayer of thanks to any god that might be listening. This was the fourth fire they’d dealt with in the past three days, and she counted it a straight up miracle that they hadn’t lost any part of the city yet. But it wasn’t lack of trying on someone’s part, and she didn’t think they would stop until they were either caught or they succeeded. “What now?”
“They want to meet us back at our rooms. Ashlynn claims she needs a hot meal and a change of clothes, and then we really should have an emergency meeting with Edvard.” Ash looked around, running a hand roughshod over his hair, and for a moment he let her see his exhaustion and despair. “We can’t keep this up for much longer.”
Truly. Ever since Ashlynn and Da had left, it had been one disaster after another. They were spending every waking moment putting out fires—literally, at times—only to have three more pop up while they weren’t looking. Riana was so glad the other two were back already that she could weep. “Come on, then.” Taking his hand, she started towing him back to the castle.
Ash allowed her to pull him along, hand returning the firm grip she had on him. They’d been doing that often recently—holding hands. Riana had started it because she was afraid of losing him in the madness of the chaotic streets. Now, it was more for comfort than anything else. Their world might be in danger of falling about their ears, but they could still depend on each other.
By the time that they arrived at the rooms, Ashlynn and Da were already there. Ashlynn was holed up in the bathing room, and they could hear her humming over the sound of splashing water. Her da was sitting in a chair near the fire, looking older than she’d ever seen him. He seemed to have aged ten years while he was gone, but when he saw her, he lit up in a ready smile that took the years away again.
“Daughter.” Putting his hands on the arms of the chair, he pushed himself to his feet with a soft grunt and reached for her.
Smiling, she lunged into his embrace and hugged him hard, smelling the smoke clinging to his clothes and the sweat of the road. “Da. Be it a hard journey?”
“Aye, daughter, but a good one. It always be a good one when ye do what ye set out for.” With a sigh, he eased back and looked at her. “It seems to me ye had just as hard a road by staying here. Ye look tired; ye both do.”
“It hasn’t been fun and games while you were gone, that’s for sure.” Ash dropped heavily into a nearby chair. “I am so relieved you’re back, I can’t tell you how much.”
Broden nodded to him, expression grim. “We came back as fast as we could. We feared what would be if we did no’ get here in time.”
“We feared as well,” Riana admitted. It wasn’t that the people here weren’t capable of handling emergencies—just not this many emergencies all at once. The Sheriff of Estole had been especially missed. But she felt it was not the time to say any of that to her da and instead smiled and offered, “Glad ye be back.”
“Aye, dearheart, so be I.”
Ashlynn came out with damp hair and clean clothes on, looking refreshed and livelier than her partner. “Well! I no longer feel like climbing into a grave and pulling the dirt in after me. Broden, wash if you wish. I’m calling for an early supper.”
“Bless ye, lass.” Broden lost no time in picking up a set of clean clothes that had been set aside on a nearby chair and making a beeline for the bathing room.
Coming forward, Ashlynn gave them both quick hugs before announcing, “You both could use a wash as well, get all of that soot and ash off. Are you hungry? No? Then I’ll ask for something for just me and Broden. Ash, send a message to Edvard, tell him we’re back, and have him meet us in his study.”
“In
about an hour?” Ash inquired, already reaching for his amulet.
She pursed her lips for a moment before replying, “Yes, I think that’ll give us enough time.”
Riana studied her expression, finding it hard to decipher what Ashlynn felt in that moment. “Ye be knowing, then, how to fix all of this mess?”
“No,” Ashlynn admitted nonchalantly. “But I do remember the last time that we all put our heads together. What Edvard and Ash couldn’t solve in weeks, we all solved in a matter of hours. I have no doubt that if we all think about it and talk it over, we’ll find a solution for this mess.”
Chapter Twenty-six
They found Edvard in his study with his boots up on the table and an open book covering his face. Hearing them enter, he picked the book up and looked around, lightening into a brief smile. “Ashlynn. Broden. I’m glad you’re back. Ash kept me updated as you sent him messages, but I’d feel better hearing it from you. How are my sisters?”
“Well,” Ashlynn assured him. “They’re weak after weeks of confinement and a little…traumatized, I guess is the best way to describe it. But they’re healing. I think they’ll be fine given some time.”
“Good.” Letting his feet thump to the ground, he waved them toward the chairs gathered around the table. “I think you two set a new record, you got here so quickly. Was the journey rough?”
“It was no’ pleasant,” Broden responded wearily. “But that be because we were in such a blasted hurry.”
“And we arrived to see Estole on fire,” Ashlynn added sourly. “Has this been happening the entire time we were gone?”
“No, the fires have only been happening the past four days,” Ash assured her. Broden noted that Ash pulled out a chair for Riana, and saw her situated first. Only then did the wizard relax. The way those two acted, it was normal for him to do so, as Riana didn’t blink an eye at it. Hmmm. How had those two grown so much closer in the bare month he was gone?
“The raiding started a week after you left,” Edvard informed them, jaw clenching and unclenching. “The riots a day after that. The timing is too good. I know that I have spies and agents stirring up trouble in my country.”
“Yes, that’s obvious.” Ashlynn slid into the chair on Broden’s left, and let out a soft sigh that did not entirely sound at ease. But then, she was likely saddle sore. “I think we’re more or less up to date on what’s been happening. Which problem should we tackle first?”
“First, we need to figure out what to do about these riots,” Edvard sighed. “Otherwise the whole city will be burned around our ears before the end of the week.”
“The riots are escalating because they feel it’s unsafe to leave the city,” Ash pointed out. “And they’re right. We can’t protect our people outside of the city walls right now. The raids are getting worse. We’ve got to do something about that first.”
“Yes, but if we don’t do something about the riots, there won’t be anything left for Iysh to raid—”
Ashlynn cleared her throat, interrupting Edvard, and gave her brothers an exasperated look. “And just why do you think I rode my arse off getting here so quickly? We are not debating on which problem needs to be solved first. They need to be solved immediately, and Ash and I are going to divide up the workload. Ash, as I am Sheriff of Estole, I will deal with the riots.”
“Which leaves me with the raiders?” Ash stroked his chin thoughtfully. “True, the riots do fall under your responsibility.”
She nodded in satisfaction, glad he saw that, and relaxed into her chair. “Exactly.”
Edvard eyed the two of them with growing bemusement. “And who, exactly, is king here? I feel like the two of you are managing just fine without me.”
The twins regarded him with amusement, and carefully didn’t agree with that. Out loud, anyway.
Broden cleared his throat in an attempt to disguise a chuckle. “Still, best we tackle one problem at a time. First, the border raids, I think. Can we no’ build a wall about Estole like we did about the city?”
Edvard blinked before looking at Ash. “I don’t know. Can we?”
“We’re not that big of a country, Edvard,” Ash responded dryly. “In fact, we were a duchy before all of this, remember? Of course we can. It’ll take a few weeks, though.”
“Maybe not as long as you think,” Ashlynn disagreed. “I told you that Tierone chased me down when I was heading for Trenena, didn’t I? He said that after what Zelman had done to us, he wouldn’t be faithful to the king any longer and would break from Iysh.”
“He did?!” Edvard exclaimed, coming half out of his chair in surprise. “I didn’t hear about this!”
Ashlynn frowned at him, perplexed. “Truly? He said that there were games afoot, and he wanted to resolve some of them before he declared anything. Still, I thought that he would at least tell you before I got home.”
“No, he hasn’t breathed a word to me.” Sinking back, Edvard huffed out a breath of mixed relief and joy. “I’m glad to hear it, though. I’ll send him a message later tonight asking about it. But if he’s truly willing to do so, maybe he’ll lend me some people until we can get things sorted.”
“Exactly the point I was going to make. If we borrowed Tierone’s wizard wouldn’t the job go by faster?”
“Much faster,” Ash agreed. He had an odd expression on his face as he said this, though, as if a thought had just occurred to him. “And come to think of it, we shouldn’t build a wall between Estole and Dahl anyway. Not if Tierone is going to join us. That will cut the building down significantly.”
True, that. All good points and suggestions. “So this wall of yers be solid all the way around?”
“No, that’s not wise,” Edvard disagreed thoughtfully. “Eventually we’ll need open trade routes in and out of the country. If we can ever get Iysh to recognize us as a sovereign country, that is. When that happens, I can’t afford a solid wall blocking us off from the world. No, we need to have certain openings along the roads so people can go through. But we’ll need…hmm…guard houses? Or something like that so I can station people near the roads and keep unwanted raiders from entering.”
Ash reached for a pencil and a sheet of paper from the stack in the middle of the table. “Checkpoints, in other words. Anything else you want before I design this wall?”
“Make it a good six feet tall and two feet wide,” Riana suggested. “Otherwise any horse can jump it, and the wall be useless.”
Ash gave her a silent salute with his pencil, acknowledging her point. “Anything else? No?”
Broden lifted a finger. “If an old man can make a suggestion?”
Edvard waved him on. “Please do. I’ve liked all your suggestions so far.”
“Seems to me, from what Ash has told us on our way here, that some of the riots be caused by Iysh, but not all. That be right?”
“Correct,” Edvard confirmed. “From what my spies in the city tell me, some of these are clearly instigated by Iyshian spies, but some of them are by my citizens. My upset, paranoid, law-loathing citizens.” This last bit he added in a sour tone.
Broden stroked his chin, thinking things through aloud. “Then mayhap there be a way to help solve both problems? Say, make a law that says any man that causes a riot be assigned to help build the wall.”
Everyone in the room froze, staring at him as if he had just said something profound.
“And when the wall is finished, perhaps set to help guard the checkpoints?” A particularly evil smile grew on Edvard’s face. “Oh, that will stop people in their tracks alright. Who would want to be out there for days on end doing hard labor? We’ll have to be careful how to word this, though. I mean, I don’t mind people protesting, I just want them to do so peacefully.”
“Agreed.” Ashlynn rose from her chair, heading for the shelves on the far wall. “Let me see how the old Bindings worked. Maybe we can just use what they were and rephrase it.”
“Good thought.” Edvard leaned forward, catching Broden’s e
ye. “I have an idea how to handle the Iyshian spies that are stirring up trouble. Our punishment will likely take care of the troublemaking citizens, but not the spies. But if we can somehow put a spin on this, spread rumors that anyone who wants to incite a riot is likely an Iyshian spy and should be reported, it might make it harder for the spies to act.”
Broden’s head canted to the side as he mulled the idea over. “Belike it will work. At least some. But it will no’ stop a truly determined man.”
“No, likely not. I’ve put my own spies to work, to see if we can’t hunt these men down. But this isn’t something that I can turn to my usual people for help on. Their faces are too well known. I need you and Riana to go weed out the spies and spread the rumors. People know about you, of course, but your faces aren’t as well known. It’ll work better coming from the two of you.”
“Now wait a minute,” the twins protested in unison, voices sounding panicked, “I need him/her.”
Edvard blinked, then laughed out loud. “I haven’t heard you two talk at the same time like that in ages.”
“Edvard,” Ashlynn growled.
“Not funny,” Ash rumbled, as if completing his twin’s thoughts.
“No, it is,” Edvard insisted, hand holding his belly. “Why are you two panicking? It’s not like I’m taking your partners away from you entirely. I just need them for a few days, is all. And not even the entire day, at that. I think they can go with you while you work and then spare a few hours in the evening to do what I need. Rumors are best spread at night anyway, when people are tired and want to just sit around and talk.”
His king might not think anything of it, but Broden understood the unease. With all that was going on, he did not feel comfortable leaving Ashlynn’s side for long. He caught her eye and saw the same expression of doubt there that he felt, but she nodded reassurance to him, silently stating it would work out one way or another.
Riana and Ash were giving each other the same look. Edvard caught it all the way around and reassured them gently, “I promise you, I won’t need them to do more than two hours or so every evening. My spies and I can handle the rest, I think. I just need people I can trust to spread the right rumors, people that no one else will readily link to me. Fortunately, these two are still new enough that they can do what I need them to. It won’t be dangerous at any point, not for either side. I’ll work out the particulars of what needs to be done and then instruct you, Broden, Riana. For now, let’s work on expanding my laws a little and firming up the plans for the wall. Ashlynn, what have you found?”
Arrows Of Change (Book 1) Page 23