An Adept's Duty: The Scepter of Maris: Book Two

by James R Barnes

  "Better now?"

  "A little," he admitted.

  He took a moment to admire the sun-reflected gold and red highlights in her hair while she closed her eyes and leaned her head back. Clasping her outstretched hand, he guided her along so she could enjoy a few more moments of sunshine on her beautiful face.

  Meric aimed a quick look over her shoulder at Brody as he exited next, throwing his arms up and breathing the crisp air with a satisfied sigh. The big man strode forward, crunching through the ankle deep snow, and taking in their surroundings with interest. According to the maps, and their Dwarven guides, they should be in the mountains of northern Glendon. If they skirted the mountains west for about ten or eleven days they would reach Fort Sten, the large military outpost on the coast. Heading east for three weeks would take them back to the Gannett River. Their plan was to travel roughly two weeks almost straight south into Freemont holdings where they would resupply for the last leg of their travels. It was twelve days from Freemont to Dallena where they could take a few days to refresh and rest while the King and the Dwarven Emissary worked out a compromise. Of course, all of these times were figured with horses in mind, so it could take a few more days here and there.

  Along with Meric's original party (minus Pierson, he remembered with sorrow), there were twenty-three Dwarves leaving the caves behind. Three of which were the Emissary and her two staff. An honor guard of ten would stay with them once Dallena was reached, and the other ten would join Meric and his group as they searched out Thardenfell and the Scepter. That is, if all went according to plan.

  Meric eased Alyssa close and pulled her back to his chest. With his chin resting on her shoulder and his arms wrapped around her, the two of them silently watched the others file out of the cave. Alyssa had carefully scanned the area with her magic to ensure that there were no Trackers around before they had even opened the hidden exit, though no one thought it was likely. Once they were sure, the party set out, leaving another twenty Dwarves in the outpost that was near the entrance while the rest began patrolling the cave system to keep it vermin free.

  James, Silas, and Wood stopped nearby, and dropped their packs on the ground as they discussed the next leg of their journey. After pulling a map free and waving Meric and Alyssa over, the three men settled to the ground and spread out the unrolled vellum to study.

  "I assume we want to avoid any towns... at least until we reach Freemont?"

  "That would probably be for the best," Meric answered Silas' question while peering over his friend's shoulder.

  Brody and Dhuren had joined them by the time Meric finished speaking, and Brody groaned at hearing the answer.

  "We can at least send someone into any village or settlement we come across, right? I can do without a real bed for a few more weeks, but we're almost out of coffee. I doubt we'll find any of the good stuff at these backwater places, but something's better than nothing."

  This brought a round of soft laughter from the group, but Meric was pretty sure his friend was serious. It really was in the best interest of the whole party that they find somewhere with some coffee to spare.

  "We need to make sure we do not let our guard down just because we are so close to safe harbor. There were reports about possible bandit activity in the area south of here... not sure how serious it was, but we should be ready. Normally I would imagine that Lord Marshall Camden would have taken care of this swiftly, but with the possibility of invasion threatening he might have had to prioritize."

  "We will keep an eye out. In the mean time, it looks like there is still another two hours before mid-day... let us make use of the time." Meric checked the sun's position to verify that he was right about the time of day, and then looked at Brody. "Get them moving, Sergeant."

  Brody snapped off a crisp nod in affirmation, and then his voice boomed out as he organized their party for the trip ahead. Meric was glad that Dhuren had agreed on the leadership of their group falling to him once they were in Glendon. It made sense that one of the Humans takes command when traveling through the Human kingdom, and with him in charge of the original expedition it was easy to take on that role for the expanded group. Meric let out a sigh and eased his arms from around Alyssa before turning to the south. It would be a long walk.

  #

  A light snow had begun to fall about an hour after they headed out on their third morning since leaving the caves, but luckily no real breeze to speak of. The previous day had seen some snow, but mostly they had to contend with a blustery wind cutting through their winter gear. It was a much needed break from said wind, and gave Brody at least one reason to cheer up after realizing that he had used the last of his coffee supply earlier. The bleak landscape of white had been adding to his sour mood, and he was willing to use any excuse to improve his disposition. He scanned the area behind them again from his place at the rear of the line walking next to Fastil.

  The Dwarf had been quiet for the most part, but like the rest of his kin he had would occasionally glance around with an uncomfortable look on his face. When asked he had merely stated that it was unnatural to have so much open space around him. The Dwarven Lord did not appear to want to elaborate, and Brody respected his reticence. Meric was not the only one that had been ready to see the sky above him once more. Luckily the sensation did not lead to distraction for any of their new friends. It was uncomfortable, but they would deal with it and move on.

  They were cresting a ridge that ran southwest and the sun cast the entire party in an orange glow as the light was reflected off of the white coated ground and silver birch surrounding them. Once Brody reached the top of the ridgeline he paused and gave a more thorough inspection to their back trail. His higher vantage giving him a good view of the area behind them. He spent several minutes watching before moving on, knowing that catching up would be easier going downhill. Finally satisfied that they were not being followed, he turned and trotted after his friends, easily catching up to Fastil.

  Not long after, Meric came to a halt holding up the rest of the party. Malina appeared a few moments later and Meric waved everyone to gather around him. Having heard the scout's warning call, Brody was already heading in that direction.

  "A small village, about three hours ahead. Doesn't look like much, but maybe we can restock some of our supplies." She cut her eyes at Brody when she finished speaking.

  "Bless you, child!"

  His heartfelt sentiment earned soft chuckles all around, but he was not joking. Did the rest of them not understand that the coffee was gone? Meric gave Malina a nod and suggested that James and she take care of it. There was really no one in their group that come across as simple, harmless travelers, but the couple might just be able to keep any of the villagers from becoming alarmed. Brody knew that the Dwarves were out of the question, and the remainders all looked just like what they were; soldiers, warriors, people who had lived through some tough times. Alyssa had not lived quite as hard as the rest of them, but she was so obviously a Lady that it jumped right out at you. Even in careworn travel clothes and bundled up in winter wear, she held herself in such a way as anyone would know it on sight.

  Brody's thoughts were interrupted by Meric's order to get moving again. They would find a place to camp closer to the village, and wait out the return of the James and Malina. As he eased back to the end of the line with Fastil, Brody felt that it was a shame they could not all head into the village, but he understood why. Once they reached Freemont, the secret of the Dwarves existence would be out. It would be best to hold that off for as long as they could. Some of the people living in these smaller villages, away from the larger cities, could be very superstitious. There was no telling what the villagers might think of their short friends. The snort of laughter he let out drew a raised eyebrow from his companion, but no questions.

  A little over two hours later they found a decent spot to camp and began to set up while Malina led James off through the trees. Getting settled did not take too long since, by this tim
e, they had been working together for quite a while. A quick discussion had Meric and Silas following after Malina and James so they could set up somewhere to ensure that the couple was not followed back. The spot for the camp they had picked was a good one; plenty of brush and rocks to keep them out of sight, in addition to making a good screen for the wind. With a watch set and a fire going for their supper, Brody settled down on one of the dead logs they had found that could be used for a make-shift bench. He took the mulled wine Alyssa held out with a grateful nod, and settled back to wait. A throat clearing and the light crunch of snow announced the arrival of Fastil and Enber. Brody merely quirked an eyebrow at his friend and waited.

  "Brody, you remember Enber? He has a request," Fastil said.

  "As you now know, these lands once saw plenty of Dwarven people moving through them. Well... the big cities, like the ones on Lady Alyssa's map, are not the only sites that our people settled." The healer fidgeted a little as he spoke, and started slightly as Alyssa appeared suddenly at their side.

  "Go on," Brody encouraged. "You usually get her undivided attention when you start talking about anything she might not know about already." She actually stuck her tongue out at Brody.

  The Dwarf nodded slowly and continued, even though his eyebrows had still not dropped back down from his hairline.

  "Well... it's kind of like Westerly was telling me... about how sometimes farmers will settle well off by themselves. Some Dwarf families would head off to do their own thing. Usually it was somewhere in the mountains to find ore deposits to mine, or trying to set up trading posts, but sometimes they just wanted to go out on their own. You know, just to ge-"

  "Just get to the point, son. You can give the history lesson to Lady Alyssa later. Brody does not really care." Fastil said, not unkindly, and waved his hands to go along with his words.

  With another, somewhat cautious look at Alyssa, Enber carried on.

  "Right. Well, my family was one of those adventurous types. They set a small settlement off on its own. It isn't far from where we are now, and would only add a little over half a day to our travel time. I know we aren't out here to explore, and I'm not asking to spend much time there. I just would like to look... see if there is anything left. My ancestor that founded the place didn't return with the rest of his family when the recall was given. We would like to know what happened to him, and I may never make it back to this part of the kingdom again. I..."

  The Dwarf just shrugged as he tapered off. Brody glanced at Alyssa, but only to buy himself a second to think. He knew what her answer would be; one day should not matter too much in the long run. Tugging on his beard, he took a sip of his drink and looked back to the Dwarf.

  "Let's see your map... and fetch our main map from Woodard. We'll take a look at it, and if looks like we can make it work, I will take this to Meric. Agreed?"

  Enber was nodding vigorously and Fastil just gave a small smile as his fellow Dwarf scampered off.

  "Thank you, my friend. Many families and their legacies were lost in that old war. A lot of Dwarves dream about finding answers to the mysteries of their lineage."

  "I understand. My own people are nearly obsessed with traditions and history of their clan's past. As long as I don't start getting requests from the rest of them. One day won't matter, but they could start to add up."

  Now fully grinning, Fastil just shrugged and settled down to wait on the maps.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  A Helping Hand

  Serena ducked into the alley as soon as she saw the soldiers. They were everywhere, they were looking for someone, and there was little doubt that it was for her. The last two days had been spent hiding and creeping around the city looking for a way to get outside the walls. The gates were all manned, and by this time they all knew to watch for her specifically. Whether or not she should have left on the night she escaped from the castle did not matter. She had not been in any shape to outrun the men that would have been sent after her, so she had remained hidden and thought to wait them out.

  Until a few hours ago she had kept her forays to the darkest hours of the night. There would be less chance anyone would recognize her, and she was free to search without much interference. When some soldiers had stumbled onto her hiding place, she was forced to flee before they caught her. Fortunately, she had seen them coming and was able to slip out unseen, but now she was moving about in the daylight. A woman covered in bandages was not hard to miss. Even if she removed the wrappings, the wounds were still obvious enough that no one would be fooled.

  A quick look around at the other end of the alley showed no sign of men in a Rennick Guardsman uniform, so she slipped up the street and began making random turns while looking for another place to hide.

  "Hey, you. Stop right there!"

  The shout came from behind her and she did not even check to make sure they were yelling at her. She ran. The first alley she came across led to another street, which led to another. She kept making turns to try and lose them, until she ended up on a long row of dwellings built against each other. With no alleyways to duck down, and hearing more sounds of pursuit, she started trying doors. Options now dwindling, the first door to give was the one she slipped through. Shutting the door quietly, she spun around to survey the room and froze at the sight of a man sitting at a table with a cup of coffee. The man was also sharpening a knife, with two more sitting within easy reach of his right hand.

  Somewhere around his mid-forties, she thought, the man was fit and had a slightly bemused look on his face. Salt-and-pepper hair that was barely more than stubble and a strong jaw were framing brown eyes and a slightly crooked nose, yet still looked distinguished. Before either could speak, a commotion could be heard through the door. Serena knew that the soldiers would start searching houses, and she moved to the side of the room to see if she could edge around the man to search for a back way out. With the homes being built up against each other, it was easy to hear when the Guardsmen got to the house next to them, and at the sound of the door breaking down, she gave up all subtlety.

  However, after her first step the man stood and moved to block her way. The panic was about to overwhelm her, while she tried to think of what to do. Even if she were in any kind of shape to fight someone off, the man now in front of her would probably not even break a sweat subduing her. His sure movements reminded her of Dane, and she felt sure the man knew how to fight. The small knife in her pack would be less than useless. The despair that was trying to suffocate her was momentarily shocked out of her system when the man held up a finger to his lips and slid the table he had been sitting at aside. The rug underneath was flipped away to reveal a trap door. With no other real choice, she did not hesitate.

  The table was back in place and her would-be rescuer was once more seated and sharpening his knife when someone began hammering on his door.

  "Enter!" Came the response from the man, and the door opened to let two soldiers in.

  Serena could see a very little of what was going on above through the cracks between floorboards, but stayed huddled down in the corner of her hiding space. She saw no reason to try getting closer and chance them seeing her if the light happened to hit her through the seams. She would listen and see what happened. It was all she could do at the moment.

  "Cuh... Commander Faber. We didn't realize this was your house, Sir. We apologize for the interruption." Serena could hear nervousness creeping into the young man's voice.

  "That's alright, Corp-"

  "He's not a Commander anymore, and we have every right to search this place. Stand up, move ove-"

  "Be silent! You will hold your tongue, Private Holt. Just because he retired doesn't mean he doesn't deserve to be treated respectfully." The nervousness was replaced by a little steel, and in a lower voice the first soldier kept on. "He still has the loyalty of most of the Royal Scouts, so unless you want to take a shaft in the back some dark night, you keep your mouth shut."

  In the few seconds of silenc
e that followed, the sound of the Holt's teeth grinding could be heard even from Serena's hiding place.

  "It's alright, Corporal. You boys are just doing your job. I'll just sit right here, out of your way, and keep working these old blades. You go ahead and have a look around. Lucky for you, there isn't much to this little place."

  "Thank you, Sir. We will be out of your hair shortly. Come on, Holt."

  With a sullen grunt, the Private moved off, and the two men checked the rest of the house. It did not take them long. There was only the common area and an enclosed kitchen on the ground floor. Above the kitchen was a loft bedroom with the common area open all the way to the ceiling of the building. When Holt came down from upstairs, the Corporal again apologized, bid the former Commander good day and they both left. After securing the door behind them the man went back to his seat and began working on his knives again. Serena was confused for a moment, but then realized that he must want to wait before letting her out in case the men came back. That seemed like a good idea, and now that fear was not consuming her she once more felt the pain of her wounds. For good or ill, a lot of the fear had left her when she heard her rescuer's name. It was a name that was well known in the Keep, and most of the gossip was about how much Xavier disliked him.

  Serena stifled a groan when a sharp pain hit her as she settled. Running earlier had certainly not helped, and she was paying for it now. Since it looked like it would be a while, she made herself as comfortable as possible, and tried to get some rest. She dozed off shortly after.

  #

  A loud thump caused her to start awake some unknown time later. By the time her senses were fully aware the door above her was being opened and a hand reached down to help her climb out of the hiding space. Moving after such a long time sitting still was torturous. Serena was pretty sure that some of her stitches had torn during her earlier flight from the soldiers, and would need looking at soon. Her rescuer, Commander Faber, helped ease her out of the hiding spot and gently guided her to a chair. Sweat had broken out by the time she sat, and she began rummaging through her bag before any words were spoken. Once she had found the vial with the medicine for pain relief, she took a few small sips and replaced it. Enough to take the edge off, not so much that it would affect her thinking. With the small bottle safely tucked back in her pack, she finally turned to the man now seated across from her.