‘Thank you so much,’ Daniel said and led his family inside. It was a relief to be somewhere safe and give his family the chance for rest they so badly needed. Ailsa and Drew exclaimed over their luck as they explored the few rooms. This had obviously been someone’s home although little in the way of personal effects remained. It was only sparsely furnished, but after days roughing it on the road in all weathers, it was very welcome indeed.
Daniel went to stand by the window instead, watching Commander Drako lead the rest of the party up the hill to the pretty house at the top. Clearly that was where he lived. Curiously, it appeared that the three he’d followed here were reporting in to Drako. Had his arrival interrupted a debriefing?
‘Come away from the window,’ Ailsa chided him. ‘They know you’re watching them. Come and see what we’ve been granted. Drew and Holly are already asleep in the other bedroom.’
Daniel let her lead him upstairs. He badly needed some sleep and the room she took him to had a very inviting big bed.
‘Drew obviously feels safe enough to sleep,’ Daniel observed having peered into the room she was using on the way past. ‘How about you?’
‘I watched the way the wizard was with Holly. He is truly her father?’
‘Yes and he obviously knows it.’
‘Drew trusts him and so do you. It’s kind of him to let us stay, even though we’ve surely put him in an awkward position.’ Ailsa looked out the bedroom window at the people going about their business peacefully in the village. ‘They’ve been generous to put us up and treat us as guests; we weren’t expected and must respect that. It’s certainly a lovely place they’ve got here and it feels so safe.’
‘You do realise this is Clan Green Bear’s secret hideaway?’
‘Yes, I recognised that. It actually makes me feel safer knowing I am amongst so many skilled warriors. These people have successfully evaded capture for years. They’re sure to have many safeguards in place that will benefit us too. You’ve been alone far too long Daniel. You’ve managed to find us somewhere safe and where we’re back amongst our own kind. That’s one hell of an achievement and I really hope they’ll let us stay. They even have a pack of wolves here. Perhaps you could find a place amongst them. Wolves need other wolves.’
‘Thank you Ailsa,’ Daniel said simply, relieved by her understanding. She had shown considerable trust in following him on this journey, when none of them had had any clue as to what manner of place they would find. They’d been hard pressed several times, before they crossed the border into Edmoston, but had managed to evade the inquisitor squads and then local peacekeeping patrols on this side. It had been quite a fraught journey, especially with two ladies and dear little Holly who wouldn’t always be quiet for Drew.
He had managed to reach amicable relations with Jim and Amelie before they parted, and as things had turned out, he was thoroughly relieved he’d made that effort. It had been his idea to seek out Jim, when they were considering where it might be safe to flee to. To a wolf, family was of core importance. Little Holly’s existence was something he’d definitely want to know about in Jim’s place and seeking Jim gave them a target destination across the border.
As they travelled, they heard many rumours of wizard Jim’s exploits. He was also referred to with awe and by some, fear. What had happened to make him change, if indeed he had? Daniel had grown a little nervous about meeting him again, even though Jim could perhaps provide the protection Drew in particular needed.
Arriving at the gates with the surprise results of Jim’s fling in tow, yet hoping for sanctuary, had been humbling. It rubbed his fur up the wrong way to ask for protection for his family. What made it worse was that the alpha wolf of this territory had also been present. Daniel’s wolf might be exhausted but he would not beg. Jim could have turned them away at the gate, or denied Holly, yet he’d been remarkably understanding and gracious. The uncertainty plaguing his thoughts throughout the journey had been almost overwhelming at times, especially when they’d been hard pressed by catcher squads. The weight had now completely lifted and he could hold his head up in front of Ailsa. The dangerous journey they’d undergone now seemed worth the risks.
So far, they seemed to have landed on their feet. Even if it wasn’t possible to stay here, with so many other animus people, he was sure they could trust any advice they were given on safe alternatives. With no more ado he curled up beside Ailsa and slept.
4. New Information
Jack sat opposite Commander Drako inside his home and in a comfortable armchair. Their words would not now be overheard. Freddie and Natalya were also present but Drako’s lady had gone. He glanced out the window; the three wolf men sat outside on the steps chatting. The odd glance down to the little cottage, where the newcomers were staying, gave a clue as to what held their attention. He wasn’t surprised they’d be particularly interested in the arrival of a new wolf and also whatever the story was with Jim and the toddler. Jack was simply relieved he wasn’t the centre of attention anymore.
‘Sorry about the interruption,’ Drako said and his guest seemed to settle and meet his gaze. ‘I know you’re tired so I’ll keep this brief. Freddie mentioned you overheard where your family was being taken?’
‘Yes. Somewhere called Whitfield. Do you know where that is?’ Jack asked noticing Drako’s surprise turn to a frown.
‘Whitfield? Are you sure?’
‘That’s what I heard. You know it then?’
‘I should, its smack in the middle of Berwick, part of the Clan Green Bear homeland. Of all the cheek!’
Jack watched Drako begin pacing, obviously angry. ‘That as a location does make perfect sense then,’ Jack commented.
‘What do you mean?’
‘Well, the sheer numbers of people I hear the inquisitors have arrested, from your clan, would be a logistical nightmare to move far. The farther they have to be transported, the greater the risk of them escaping, or of you finding and attacking the convoy to release them. It stands to reason they’d use a place as near as possible to the capture point. The odd person they capture later, like me, is less troublesome to transport. I heard your homeland has been extensively fought over and cleared of animus people over the years and of course your other supporters. It’s got to be one of the safest places for a prison. We’re getting ahead of ourselves though; it could of course be another Whitfield they mean.’
‘No, your reasoning is sound. It is too much of a coincidence for them to choose a place with the same name as a clan town. It’s also just the way the inquisitors think. I really don’t know why I didn’t consider it myself. Thank you, Jack. For the time being please keep this to yourself. We don’t need any hotheads rushing off prematurely. Now go and get some rest while we consider your news. Freddie will find you a place.’
Jack recognised a dismissal when he heard one and was grateful for the kindly consideration. Drako was clearly a leader who kept an eye on his people’s well-being. Freddie and Natalya left the house promptly and he followed suit. He was exhausted and very glad to have got through this meeting with the clan leader unscathed.
‘Here Jack, this might fit you better,’ Natalya said handing him a fresh shirt once they were outside once more. Cassy had found one of Drako’s shirts for her and left it by the door. The one he was wearing was clearly far too small to fasten and was probably very uncomfortable. Natalya had mentioned it to Cassy privately and she’d agreed Drako, being a far broader man than Freddie, probably had clothing that would fit better.
‘Does it fit?’
‘This is Drako’s?’ Jack asked in consternation noting the scent on the item even through it had been laundered.
‘It’s only a shirt Jack. He has plenty and can spare one.’ With that reassurance and now outside on the veranda, Jack pulled off the tight shirt and accepted the alternative. She took back Freddie’s shirt and tried not to stare, but Jack had a physique worth looking at even though his ribs were showing prominently. ‘That looks far mo
re comfortable,’ she commented as he was now able to properly button the shirt.
‘It is. It’s nice to be warm and decent for a change,’ Jack agreed, his attention now on the three men rising from their seats on the steps to meet them.
‘Jack, let me formally introduce you to my pack,’ Freddie said. ‘This is Dustin my second, Rupert and Johnny. You are now officially under our wing, so to speak,’ he added for the pack’s benefit. ‘Go with Dustin, he should be taking it easy at the moment too. You can keep each other company while you eat and get some sleep.’ Then Freddie turned to glance at Johnny and Rupert. ‘Can you collect the school bed from my spare room and bring it over to Dustin’s house for Jack? Then you should stay available. I imagine Drako will need runners shortly. Also, the other newcomer, Daniel, will probably be up and about in a few hours, so keep an eye out for him. His family may need supplies.’
Jack and Dustin walked slowly to Dustin’s house while the rest of them jogged quickly back to Freddie’s. Once Johnny and Rupert had left with the bed for Jack, Freddie shut the door. He was glad to be safely home and took Natalya upstairs for some proper rest, content all was organised to carry on without him for a few hours.
5. Meeting Behind Closed Doors
Prince Casper glanced around the room as he took his seat. He eyed the rather elderly council leaders of the Wizard’s Guild, aware they were discomfited and probably disgruntled at his presence, crashing what would normally be a private meeting. However, having learned from his advisors that today’s topic was the “rogue wizard” Jim and a debacle involving the Eastern Guild’s military arm’s leader, wizard Jared, he’d decided to attend.
He wanted to learn the structure of power amongst the secretive wizards, which was quite separate from that of the East’s Queen Bernadette and her various subordinate lordships. These guild councillors did not recognise the same borders, but oversaw Rosh, that was his and the various regional eastern guilds, like Edmoston, which were not yet under his jurisdiction. Since they were meeting in his territory he could gate-crash as he pleased. However, his aim was also to reassure them he had no designs of further conquest over the border into the east, without of course making any actual promises.
As he passively listened, somewhat surprised that the quiet young man he’d met was apparently viewed with such concern, Casper understood better why the guild was worried. The glimpses he’d had of Jim’s resourcefulness, backbone and intelligence were now coupled with considerable magical powers. Casper listened as the guild bemoaned the fact that under Jim’s leadership the failing wizard academy of White Haven was going from strength to strength. It was also now independent of their system and outside of their control. Clearly he was becoming a force to be reckoned with.
Additionally, he’d apparently acquired Lord Aubrey’s support for this stance and that in turn, had ramifications. Already wizard students were flocking to White Haven. There was a clear and understandable preference, amongst many parents, for paying for their child’s tuition themselves, rather than watching them being indentured for one or two years after graduation. Money was therefore coming in, not only to the school, but all the surrounding supporting businesses were benefitting. That was making Aubrey’s county financially stronger, to the detriment of some of his neighbours.
Casper realised it was the power, that Lord Aubrey and Wizard Jim now possessed by working together, that was of most concern and not only to himself. The effects of that co-operation and mutual support could be far reaching if they decided to formalise their arrangement into an official alliance. Aubrey had already gained a stronger voice in council as a result. This had an effect on the punitive animus measures in place, as it was widely known he did not support them. With an alliance to a powerful wizard, other eastern lords were more likely to listen to what Aubrey had to say in council, regardless of topic.
Also, Jim remaining outside of the wizard guild hierarchy and structure was destabilising the guild’s monopoly. The guild earned very well out of new wizard graduates providing their services for free for the first two years post-graduation. It might be in repayment of school fees but guild coffers relied on charging for their work. Most agreed that the pair were disrupting the political systems and should be separated. How to do so was the problem.
‘So, how are you planning on proceeding?’ Casper asked Thomas, the council’s leader. ‘It sounds like this situation needs careful handling not to bite you further.’
‘Indeed, you are correct,’ Wizard Thomas responded heavily. ‘Since Wizard Jared has clearly overstepped his authority in a number of areas, including potentially antagonising this young leach, we have had to take him out of active duty until investigations can be carried out. Wizard Mathias has been asked to oversee the Eastern Guild’s military arm in the interim.’
Thomas gestured towards a heavyset florid man sitting ill at ease at the far side of the table. Casper nodded by way of acknowledgement to the introduction. So this was the one now in charge of the defence of the pass? He looked woefully inadequate to handle anything military in nature. No wonder he was ill at ease. Casper hid his smile.
‘We have also called in Sir Cyril. We are appointing him responsible for carrying out a number of investigations. He will join this meeting shortly,’ Thomas announced watching Casper closely.
‘I see. Do you plan on sending him to visit all the Eastern Lords?’ Casper asked curiously, trying to hide his annoyance and immediate unease. Perhaps the renowned warrior wizard could be kept occupied, running around far from the border? He might be known as a shrewd and formidable wizard but he couldn’t be everywhere at once and his advanced years would surely slow him down.
‘We hadn’t planned on that. Do you think that’s necessary? It will add considerably to the time this investigation will take,’ Thomas objected.
‘Sir Cyril is well respected and senior enough a wizard to speak with the Lords face to face. He also has a reputation for being thorough. It would be wise to learn how the presence of the new wizard, and his flouting of accepted guild practices, is affecting the area.’
Thomas nodded, mulling it over. Cyril could easily be tasked to learn the new political alliances that the lords had developed in the decade since the last assessment. Frankly, with the Eastern guild weakening and open support for the new wizard at White Haven from Lord Aubrey in particular, shifts in power were inevitably happening. Lord Aubrey and Lord Dirk, also known to have personally hosted the young wizard, needed to be reassessed. Whilst the monarchy didn’t often use Sir Cyril, because he was too powerful and free thinking, his innate wizard ability and experience as an enforcer meant he could gain truthful answers others could not.
‘Is there any other business before we call Sir Cyril in?’ Thomas asked his peers.
‘Well, there have been odd reports of two entire Catcher teams going missing in the White Haven area,’ Mathias mentioned, glancing at his notes. ‘There’s a report from another of the King’s Catcher teams that says they were on the trail of someone and had a warning shot delivered across their senses to back off. I imagine the warning was the work of our young leach, but what of the missing teams?’
‘What were Catcher teams doing near there?’ Thomas asked with a frown. ‘We all know Lord Aubrey objects strenuously to their presence on his lands. He has a number of squads of Patrollers tasked with enforcing the peace throughout his lands. Are you sure those teams weren’t simply driven off, as usually happens, when they mistakenly cross the border in their zeal?’
‘It is entirely possible. My understanding is that they certainly were not where they were meant to be when their handlers lost contact,’ Mathias admitted with a small shrug. They all knew the Catcher division were recruited from racist zealots and had taken the grieving King’s original objectives to heart. Nowadays they barely answered to anyone other than their own hierarchy. The only other person they might listen to was the King himself, but he’d lost interest in them and essentially left them to their ow
n devices for years. Thus they’d grown bold in their cruelty, hunting down any animus they could find, even in other territories. Lord Aubrey was one of the few lords who’d openly taken the stance of outlawing their presence on his own lands. Other lords had quietly stopped reporting the presence of animus citizens to them, unless proven to be criminals. White Haven went further by openly advertising schooling for animus and wizards alike, side by side as equals, something the Catchers found scandalous. At some point the Catchers would need to be brought under control, but that was out of his hands, as they were officially answerable to the King alone.
‘You’ve had scans performed for them?’ Thomas asked, turning his mind back to the meeting.
‘Yes. We were asked for that. We didn’t detect their magical signatures anywhere close by.’
‘They must have gone elsewhere then, or were perhaps recalled. Any other business?’
‘Wizard Nathaniel from Westermere has been reported missing by his family,’ Mathias reported glancing at his notes. ‘They think he may have come east, although no one is certain.’
‘I wonder what he was doing,’ Thomas mused. ‘If he did come to the East he was a long way from home. Ok, you can tell his family we’ll keep an eye out for him. Any other business? No? Good, send in Sir Cyril.’
‘They’re ready for you now. This way, sir.’
Cyril rose from the hard chair, positioned outside the meeting room door, where he’d been asked to wait and wordlessly entered the room. The steward closed the door behind him, giving them privacy. Cyril bowed, greeting Prince Casper with due respect. He nodded to the assembled council of wizard leaders and noticed wizard Mathias, the interim leader of the small and relatively minor Eastern Guild had also been included. He privately wondered if the sweating man was simply uncomfortable in the presence of his superiors and royalty, or had he already been subjected to a serious grilling? Or maybe it was being in the same room as the man he’d been ordered to defend their borders against?
Forging Alliances: Wizards of White Haven Page 6