Forging Alliances: Wizards of White Haven

by Frances Howitt

  ‘This is a very pleasant suite. You have been busy,’ Aubrey added with a brief but honest smile, once they’d returned back downstairs.

  ‘There is a selection of drinks and snacks in here,’ Jim explained opening the door to one of the large cabinets at the back of the dining area of the room. ‘I’ll arrange for lunch to be served shortly. Is there anything you need in the meantime?’ Jim asked, relieved to find Aubrey was pleased.

  ‘Not that I can see,’ Aubrey admitted.

  ‘In that case I’ll just let your men know where they can put their horses and where they’ll be staying tonight.’

  Aubrey nodded and curiously followed Jim out the door. His warhorse had been put in the stable he could see from his window and he went to check it out for himself. As he suspected, the guest in this suite had use of the single large loosebox. He was relieved everything was in order, as his highly-strung stallion needed particular care. The guardsmen’s saddlery went into the barn, draped over a partition that worked fine as a saddle rack while their mounts were simply rubbed down and released into the grassy paddock.

  ‘They aren’t used to such freedom,’ Aubrey remarked in amusement. He leaned on the paddock railing and watched as the horses galloped about their new paddock with glee, some immediately rolling, whilst most quickly dropped their heads to the rich grass. ‘I doubt they’ll want to be caught in the morning.’

  Jim simply laughed, satisfied all appeared in order. He wasn’t really surprised that Lord Aubrey followed as Jim led his guardsmen along the open deck fronting the new, as yet unfinished guestrooms, to the central staircase.

  ‘Still plenty of work to do I see,’ Aubrey remarked peering into one of the small rooms on the ground floor that didn’t as yet have a door.

  ‘Yes, it’s a big undertaking to complete,’ Jim acknowledged and led the way up to the first floor.

  ‘These rooms are bigger,’ Aubrey observed as they traversed the first floor to the end, again passing empty rooms without doors.

  ‘Yes. We thought it sensible to provide accommodation of varying sizes to cater for merchants and visiting parents. Prospective students are often accompanied by their parents when they come for interview. These ones up here are the big doubles, with a couple of larger family sized ones. We thought the singles and twins would be used most and therefore be better on the ground. Up on the second floor is our attic overflow room. Your men can remain together in there,’ Jim said, leading them up the stairs and inside.

  The room was the length of the guest quarters and felt remarkably spacious even though it was only one half of the attic space width. A line of narrow windows were set just above floor height under the eaves. The windows provided sufficient daylight to dimly illuminate the room, augmenting the large windows in the end wall, and certainly enabling light to fall on where you were walking. The dividing wall down the centre separated the wizard overflow with the animus side overflow. The row of beds lined up with heads at the dividing wall, seemed a little lost in the space, but was amply sufficient for the guardsmen.

  ‘Even a proper bed each,’ Aubrey remarked, nodding in approval. A trunk like box, at the foot of each bed, would serve to house each guest’s personal effects neatly so anyone walking past a bed wouldn’t be tripping on strewn belongings in the night. That was well thought out, or was that what they did for the school’s students?

  ‘There are some toilet stalls over on the end wall along with a shower room,’ Jim added waving in the appropriate direction. ‘We don’t yet have the dining room furnished, but they’ll call you shortly for lunch at the bar.’ With that he turned and left the room, Aubrey following, leaving the guardsmen to pick a bed and sort themselves out.

  ‘Will you join me for lunch?’ Aubrey asked as they returned down the steps. ‘We have much to discuss.’

  ‘Certainly,’ Jim responded and even as he followed Lord Aubrey back down to his suite, he mentally contacted Drew. He advised her of exact numbers to feed and where, so she could arrange the appropriate number of lunches in the correct place. With those logistical details passed over, he could then relax opposite Lord Aubrey in the suite’s armchairs and concentrate on what he had come to say.

  Jim watched as Curtis answered the knock at the door a short while later and then helped Drew wheel a neat trolley inside laden with fragrant smelling covered bowls. Jim and Aubrey stayed out of the way until the hot dishes had been set out on the table before coming to sit down. Jim absently thanked Drew as she dished up for them and then left, his mind still going over what Aubrey had told him. He was glad Aubrey trusted him enough to warn him of the ill feeling against him that had been stirred up among the local Lords by the Eastern Guild. He’d also heard that a shakeup of the Eastern Guild’s management was underway; although he had no information on what exactly was going on and what might come of it. Lord Aubrey had also shared his concern that punitive measures might be launched against him for siding and backing Jim. It was all very worrying. However, he wasn’t sure there was much either of them could do about it other than to keep watch for actual action.

  ‘Perhaps the best preparation is making sure we’re strong. Address any weaknesses the county may have,’ Jim remarked.

  ‘Indeed. You have some suggestions?’ Aubrey asked.

  ‘You might recall last autumn I had a spot of bother with bandits?’

  ‘You’re referring to the rather intense battle that took place and then you were nearly swept away by floods at the causeway?’

  ‘Yes. Neither was much fun. We could do without anything like that happening to anyone else this year.’

  ‘Agreed. I would have thought any bandits would be steering clear of you though. What did you have in mind?’

  ‘Food is the primary thing that seemed a little short last winter. That is something we ought to be concentrating on right now. An abundance of food means we can all stockpile and remain strong through the coming year. It will also provide work for your people, meaning fewer are likely to turn to banditry, which benefits no-one.’

  ‘That is all true. However, what if we are actually going to come under attack? We will need prime men to increase the size of our forces and it takes time to train them to be of any use. I only have so many people to draw from.’

  ‘True. However, not all of your people are suited to becoming soldiers. Conscription often just means the fields go untended for the sake of a few third rate soldiers that will likely desert the moment actual fighting is required.’

  ‘It is ever thus,’ Aubrey agreed heavily.

  Jim pulled at his lip in thought. ‘Perhaps we should join forces on a more open basis?’

  ‘You have something specific in mind?’

  ‘Yes. Formalise our alliance for one, so it’s known we have one. We’ll both be regarded as stronger for it.’

  ‘That is true. A recognised alliance will prove we are not at odds, or are a divided county that might have otherwise been weakened by the eastern guild’s poor management. It will also reassure our people. I like it.’

  ‘Excellent,’ Jim said warmly. ‘You might have heard that White Haven is becoming recognised as a warrior training academy. My graduates need jobs and you need trained troops,’ Jim said simply.

  ‘Yes. I think the time has passed for obeying outsiders’ directives on the employment of animus people,’ Aubrey acknowledged. ‘I do need to be subtle about it though.’ He was well aware animus made good fighters who were strong, fast and had superior senses. Why shouldn’t he employ squads of animus as patrollers, since they would be particularly effective? He just needed to keep them separate from his usual troops until he could be sure he could integrate them into his forces, without anyone reporting animus presences.

  ‘Actually, Natalya has devised a way of providing animus with mental privacy shields. With them, an animus becomes “quiet”, fading into the background. It means they no longer project their uniquely feral emotions that inevitably draw a wizard’s attention. From a distance
, it’s no longer obvious to a wizard that they are animus. It’s a partial solution to improve safety and security. We are also looking into the possibility of creating some kind of shield that hides the animus signature entirely from notice. At present we haven’t discovered a way, but it ought to be possible.’

  ‘Really? That would make quite a difference.’

  ‘Yes, it’d serve everyone concerned well. Both these shields are a passive line of defence, but do mean Inquisitors are less likely to sense their aura and look closely enough to discover them and perhaps cause not only the individual harm, but also you sir. It’s probably best no-one knows Lord Aubrey is breaking laws by employing them.’

  ‘You do have a point. Taking on a few new squads will enable me to release those individuals who aren’t performing as soldiers back to their farms. Hopefully they will be more productive doing what they are better suited to. This brings me to another point. I believe you arranged for a team of animus labourers to go and harvest a field last autumn, through one of the grain merchants? Perhaps setting up mobile teams of experienced labourers is another option?’

  ‘Roving teams of farmers or labourers to send where the work is?’ Jim mused, and then nodded. Animus people were still turning up at White Haven regularly and unless they were dangerous or compromised in some way (he had found a few spies), they were made welcome. Whilst some found work in the village, or if lost clan members, were usually sent to labour at Féarmathuin, there were others better suited to farm work. Cedar Castle, the village and school all required food and it made sense to send people to work wherever they were needed, even if it was just for short spans for planting or bringing in the harvest. ‘I’m sure we can work something out. They’d need to be paid in some way of course.’

  ‘My steward announces any contract work. I will get him to send word to you as a matter of course. Whoever comes forward will be logged and will be compensated for their time and effort.’

  ‘Sounds like a workable plan. I’m sure people will come forward to be included. In the meantime I’m thinking a small portion of the grass here could be ploughed and planted,’ Jim mused gazing out the window. A variety of crops would augment the school’s and village’s self-sufficiency levels. It would also serve to test which of the newcomers seeking refuge were useful. He’d discuss it with Drako later. Drako was bound to have thoughts on the subject. The work, and of course the teams he envisioned, would primarily have to be provided by the village’s animus people. Jim also knew he could safely pass over to Drako the figuring out of who was best approached to achieve all these objectives.

  ‘I thought I saw deer loose here in the park?’

  ‘Yes. We caught some to farm. Means we have fresh meat on hand to fall back on when hunting is scarce.’

  ‘You do know deer can jump just about any fence? They’d make short work of fresh new shoots,’ Aubrey pointed out.

  ‘Oh. I suppose you’re right. I hadn’t considered that. That complicates things,’ Jim mused, disliking the thought of having to put up massive ugly fences where everyone would have to look at them. Fences would probably upset the animus too, many having spent their lives in cages.

  ‘I know we were talking about contract workers but I think we both could use a more permanent solution. I find I have land sitting fallow that I don’t have people to work, areas that my patrollers can’t reach easily in a day and more men suited to farming than fighting. You, on the other hand, need farmland and have more useful people than you know what to do with. As it happens I have a particular project in mind that might benefit both of us.’

  ‘Go on.’

  ‘I was considering building a low profile, or even hidden garrison, able to house several squads of patrollers. The site I have in mind is secluded at the edge of a forest and used to be a farm. It might make sense to combine the use of the space as a cover. Your people could run the farm, make it productive once more, so White Haven can better feed itself. They could perhaps provide for the garrison itself, too. The garrison would then give the farmers protection.’

  ‘Having more frequent patrols in your remote areas would help deter bandits and make all your people feel safer. I assume that’s the main reason for creating it?’

  ‘Yes, that’s the prime reason. However, I don’t know if you noticed last time you visited Cedar Castle, that being at the top of a craggy hill means we are a little short of room for practice yards. At present my troops use land outside of the castle where there’s space for manoeuvres, but there is no privacy. Anyone can freely come and watch them training, learn their skills, strengths, strategy and manoeuvres. That’s a real tactical weakness when spies are rife and war is always a possibility. That’s why this new garrison’s secondary purpose will be to provide ample space for my troops to train. I need the actual numbers of my army, and their strengths, to be confidential. Therefore my forces need a place to be out of sight when they’re training, to be able to learn new skills in secret. With that thought in mind I’d rather no one realises there’s a garrison there at all. Initially it’ll be the perfect place to house new green patrollers, like those graduating from here. But the troops will rotate, giving each squad the opportunity and time to practice honing their skills. Yes, I think that would work well,’ Aubrey mused.

  ‘Whereabouts is this farm?’

  ‘It’s a full day west of here. In fact it’s about equidistant from Cedar Castle as here. The dual purpose of the site needs to be veiled. Since it’s an isolated spot, I’d have thought a successful working farm with several barns ought to provide adequate cover for the garrison’s presence. I’ll get my builders briefed and once they’ve put together some plans, I’ll send them to you for approval. Since my architects aren’t animus and will only really be interested in the garrison side of things, you’ll have to say if there’s anything there that won’t work for the farm side.’

  ‘Ok. How low key do you wish this garrison to be?’

  ‘I’d prefer it didn’t look like a barracks at all and that the training ground was screened from view. It probably just needs a solid palisade fence to stop anyone passing being able to see what’s there. If your farm sheds are at the open end, any unexpected visitors or spies, would need to go right to the back of the farmyard to find the access gate. If it’s planned right, no one would think it was more than an ordinary farm and so wouldn’t go looking further. They’d never see soldiers sparring.’

  ‘I’ll make sure the designs for the build meet a low profile objective, whilst building in security,’ Jim assured.

  ‘Excellent. I knew it would be worth spending a day in the saddle to come and talk to you face to face,’ Aubrey remarked in satisfaction. ‘Now, do you happen to know if Lord Trent is on site today?’

  ‘I’ll just ask,’ Jim responded and mentally sought Drako directly, who would know. ‘Yes, I believe he is. Shall I send for him?’

  ‘That would be most kind. I haven’t spoken to him in years,’ Aubrey responded.

  ‘I’ll take my leave then,’ Jim said with a small bow. He knew Aubrey and Drako’s father were related. It must be hard to disassociate from relatives just for appearances and be forced to even deny them refuge. Here they could meet in virtual secrecy.

  As he walked down to the village to brief Drako, he wondered if seeing Trent was another of the main reasons for Aubrey making the trip without Tobias, his wizard advisor. At some point Tobias’s divided loyalties were going to become a real problem. He was going to have to choose a side. Jim didn’t really want to have to test him with misinformation, but it was getting to the point where he had to know where he stood.

  11. The Garrison Farm

  Jim eagerly took possession of the plans handed to him by one of Aubrey’s architects. He invited the aged, but dignified man to take a seat, where he could relax after his journey but still be on hand. Jim quickly cleared space on his desk so he could unroll the large sheet. He carefully scrutinised the planned layout suggested to site both a fully fun
ctioning garrison and a working farm. Hemmed in on two sides by river and forest, the site was a little restricted, so optimising the use of the available space was necessary.

  Having someone that had actually been there, in front of him, Jim was able to ask to skim the man’s memory of the site. He could therefore see what its natural features were, where the existing buildings were located and their approximate state of repair. He could also question him as to the reasons behind the positions chosen for particular buildings. It was quickly apparent and inevitable, because keeping secret the garrison’s presence was one of the goals, that some of the garrison space would have to incorporate the existing farm buildings. Some of the new buildings therefore looked awkwardly positioned and were probably barely big enough for their purpose.

  As the architect talked him through the plan, Jim created a duplicate three dimensional magic version. He preferred working from these because he could home in on a particular aspect, enlarge it and look at it from all angles. He especially liked being able to change the scale to full size so he could walk around inside a room or building. He found that enormously helpful in deciding what would or wouldn’t work before they had begun building.

  Glancing at the architect he knew the man was impressed and excited to see his plans come to life in this manner. He had quickly ascertained this architect had the appropriate experience for laying out the garrison part; it was the farm aspects that might need further work or revision. Clearly, he had merely drawn in where the existing farm buildings already stood, assuming they’d be rebuilt where they were. Whether that arrangement actually suited the new dual purpose, would need to be considered. Many businesses, like farms, grew organically over the years as needs changed. Buildings were often sited where there was a spare clear space requiring least effort, rather than where would actually be most convenient.