“Our former professions call for a certain amount of discretion. We did not know if you wanted your identity known so Marcus gave you the opportunity to give whatever name you chose. We would have accepted it, respecting your anonymity,” Jared explained.
“No, a person cannot turn into a Condemned by being bitten or scratched by one, but there is danger of infection,” Daniel replied.
Marcus actually smiled, a little, just a crack. “I admit to being more than a trifle worried about that,” he said and then stared into the fire the way a man sometimes does when he broaches a delicate subject and does not want to look anyone in the eye. “It is said that you have been Silenced by the Grand Maestro,” he mentioned while rubbing his leg.
Jared frowned at the former chief as if not believing the man dared bring up the fact.
“That report is true,” Daniel replied. “Even so, maybe you should let me take a look at your wound. We mountaineers have enough knowledge of plants and poultices that I could do you some good.”
Marcus nodded and stripped to his shorts. The gash started just above the knee where the trousers had been torn and continued half way down his lower leg. The cut was not deep but it was puffy and full of infection. If not treated soon, Marcus would lose the leg, if not treated at all, he would die. Daniel turned and searched his saddle bags, looking for something that would pass as an ointment, but found nothing. Since discovering his ability to summon potential and being taught to focus it, he no longer carried things associated with healing or the tending of wounds.
“I have some aloasious ointment,” David volunteered.
Of course, Daniel smiled at the juggler. The Teki people had many ointments for healing. “Please, get it quickly,” he told him.
David went to his saddlebag, removed a small jar and several strips of white cloth, and brought them to Daniel. The Teki winked; likely he realized what Daniel had in mind.
“Healing is far from my field of expertise, but I think that substance is for minor scratches and burns,” Jared commented, and he was correct but that did not matter.
“Aloasious is also good for infections and it helps to ease the pain,” David told him with such conviction Daniel would have believed him had he not known better.
Daniel rubbed the ointment along the wounded area with one hand while placing the white cloth with the other. He was also casting the spell, Make Well, and focusing the potential through the hand applying ointment into the wound. The infection was eliminated, the healing was immediate, and he had the strip of cloth in place quickly enough to keep the others from seeing the results. He wrapped the area in a cloth, binding the strip to the leg and Marcus let out a sigh of relief.
“The Teki is right, the pain is gone,” said the former chief. “You both have my sincere gratitude,” he added and then put his trousers back on.
David took the jar of ointment and gestured with it toward Jared. “I can rub some onto your head. That burn looks painful,” he offered.
“It would be most appreciated,” Jared replied and leaned toward the Teki.
David applied the aloasious in a gentle circular motion. There was no instant healing with that but the natural properties of the ointment were adequate for the account keeper’s needs. He leaned back with a sigh of relief, thanking the Teki and Daniel even though he had nothing to do with it. David deserved whatever gratitude was earned.
Jared sat with both legs stretched out in front of him and the heel of his left shoe hanging down, exposing his sock, which had holes in the dark fabric. The man could not be left in such a state, Daniel wanted to do something to help, but decided it was not necessary for him to summon potential to fix this problem. He went to his saddle bag and brought two items he never thought he would ever consider parting with, and gave them to the former account keeper. Ruth’s word came back to him, “Walk away, stand and watch, or take action,” well he chose action, but only because it was the right thing to do.
“Why thank you,” Jared said and then paused as if unsure of how to proceed. “M-lord. This is very kind of you,” he finished while trying on the rawhide boots.
“Think nothing of it,” Daniel replied. “It was the neighborly thing to do. For the record, I’m not a lord so feel free to use my first name.”
The former account keeper nodded acknowledgement and gingerly lowered the straw hat onto his sunburned head. The wide-brimmed hat fit him well enough, better than the boots, Daniel’s feet were bigger; the man would need to stuff something soft in front of his toes to wear them properly.
Silvia returned just as Jared was walking back and forth, trying out his new footwear. She had three rabbits, one in each hand and the last hanging from her belt. This was more meat than three people needed. She must have heard David. She confirmed this by saying, “I would have been back sooner but it suddenly occurred to me that we might need two more rabbits.”
Jared and Marcus stared hungrily, licking their lips at the approach of what promised to be good eating. Daniel knew how to field dress a kill since early childhood but allowed Silvia and David to prepare the meal, which took little time with two of them doing the skinning and gutting. Before long, all three rabbits were turning on spits over the fire, and everyone was gathered in a circle.
“You heard me?” David spoke in a soft voice.
Silvia cracked a smile. “No one ever said the Gerabolli have weak lungs. You might make master-of-the-ring some day.”
David looked at her sideways, as if examining each word for an insult, finding none he smiled and said, “Perhaps, but there is another designation I would rather have.”
“What might that be?” she inquired.
“Your husband,” he replied evenly.
Silvia pursed her lips thoughtfully, not long ago she was giving him thunder about presuming she wanted him. “Perhaps?” was all she said, without even gesturing with her arms, and with a far better response than her suitor expected.
Daniel admitted to himself he was a little surprised by the change in attitude. It was clear to him the Teki woman was not completely against marrying this particular young man, she was keeping an open mind on the prospect, yet not quite ready to accept him. Jared had some convincing to do but at least he now knew he had a chance with her. The juggler nodded his head and went on to speak of the Great Carnival.
Daniel, Silvia, and David shared a rabbit, Jared and Marcus each had one. The former chief of the men-at-arms must have spent his career guarding the estate and having his meals prepared for him. The same was probably true for the former account keeper. With no food, no money, and no skill at living off the land, they likely ate very little since leaving the employ of their former lord.
“Our troop visited Keffer Greens three years ago,” Silvia began to say. “Even with the rank and insignias gone, I recognize the uniform of their men-at-arms. How came you to be so far from home and in such dire circumstances?”
Daniel remembered that Keffer Greens was in the far northwest corner of the kingdom. It was a major port city on the inland Taltin Sea, which shared borders with Ducaun and its neighbor to the west, Battencay, the northwestern kingdom of Fon Kay, and the northern kingdom of Pentrosa. The ovoid shaped sea was about nine hundred spans wide and slightly over three hundred spans from its southern most point in Battencay and its northern most point in Fon Kay. The vast majority of the sea coast belonged to those two kingdoms with Ducaun and Pentrosa controlling the eastern side to about a hundred spans out.
Jared hesitated, but Marcus seeing this, spoke up. “I’ll tell you. Lord Sharmine dismissed us because we witnessed his humiliation at the gates of Aakadon. The moment we entered the city of Zane, he hired new men-at-arms and left behind the twenty of us who had accompanied him, twenty-one men, if you include his account keeper.”
Daniel knew Zane was a small city situated along the Hirus, about twenty spans west of Aakadon. The unique feature of the city was that it was on both sides of the river with a bridge that arched high up o
ver the water, similar to the one spanning the Gosian River that leads into Zoltair. These men were more than three hundred spans from home.
“My family has been serving the Sharmines for three generations. Most of them are still employed by the current lord so I don’t want to jeopardize their positions by making a fuss. I am not without certain skills and am sure some noble will need my services,” Jared said after finishing the last scrap of meat on his wooden plate, which he borrowed from Daniel.
“A Teki troop might be willing to hire on an account keeper,” David said, clearly trying to be helpful, even though Daniel knew it was unlikely any Teki would trust an outsider near their accounts.
“That is a hard set of circumstances,” Silvia told them. “Where are you headed, home to your families?”
“I have taken no wife, my brothers, sisters, most all of my family will be better off if I stay away for a little while. At least until Lord Sharmine forgets I witnessed his failure to enter Aakadon,” Jared answered.
Marcus chuckled, but it was tinged with bitterness. “That means never. Lord Sharmine may have his faults, but a bad memory is not one of them, especially if his pride is involved. He could not take out his anger on the Aakacarn at the gate so he took it out on us. I suspect if word gets back that we are speaking of this matter, our families will be dismissed. The others of our company dispersed and will probably tell what happened to them, but their families are not employed by Lord Sharmine so they have nothing to still their tongues. If rumors spread about, most everyone will accept the word of a lord over that of a commoner, so his reputation will not suffer no matter what they say. I’m not sure why I am even telling you this, perhaps it is the act of kindness you have extended to us. I would be much obliged if you do not spread the particulars of our circumstances around.”
He had been answering Silvia’s question but his eyes were locked onto Daniel’s while he was speaking. The Teki woman assured him she would not repeat what he said and, remarkably, vouched for David as well. This left everyone looking to Daniel for a response.
He remembered the incident that took place at the gates of Aakadon and had to agree, from what he had seen of the man; Lord Sharmine was a prideful person who would try to erase any incident that impinged on his ego. Daniel had seen enough giant egos in Aakadon to convince him how petty some men can be. “I’ll not speak of the matter,” he assured the two travelers.
Marcus had finished his meal and was sipping water from a cup he produced from somewhere on his person. “I have no sword but am good with the knife and have been trained in unarmed combat. I say this only to suggest that we travel together,”
Silvia and David again looked to Daniel, he would have to get used to people deferring to him, folks had done so during the Battle of Bashierwood, but that was only for the duration of the conflict. “We are bound for Ducanton,” he told the chief.
“To meet the Queen,” Silvia volunteered; at least she did not proclaim anything about the Chosen Vessel.
Jared perked up at the news. “I could be most helpful to you, having no small experience in how to comport oneself among the nobility.”
Daniel’s first instinct was, as Ruth had said, to turn them down. He had no need of extra protection, would more likely be protecting all four of them than the other way around, and had no need of an account keeper. Even so the Seer had counseled him to accept anyone who insists on accompanying him. “David has told you who I am, and I’m telling you, trouble follows me like bees to a flower, and you would likely be safer traveling as far from me as you can get,” he said and then nodded toward Silvia. “She can tell you better than I.”
All eyes went to the Teki woman, she did not seem to mind, all of them were born performers, and she was no exception. “You are caught up in the swirl of events that surround the Chosen Vessel,” she proclaimed, so far so good. “You can join him, be smashed by him, or get out of his way. To journey with us will be perilous. I council you to go a different way, it will be much safer for you.”
Daniel wished he had not encouraged her input. He did not smash people who failed to get out of his way, at least not many, only those who were involved with the Serpent Guild. She made him sound like a natural disaster. He stood up and walked around a bit to stretch his legs. The shield on David was no longer necessary so he removed it. The Teki blinked and glanced at him, clearly noticing the cool night air.
“I am a professional, handling dangerous situations is what I am trained to do. If trouble follows your path as you suggest, you will need my services or those of one much like me, you being Silenced and all,” Marcus said, while watching Daniel pace back and forth.
That would be true if Daniel could no longer summon potential. He stopped and looked at the account keeper. “Trouble began following me from the time I cast my first spell, continued even after I was Silenced by the Grand Maestro, and has not stopped to this day. I have encountered no less than fifty yetis since leaving Aakadon and have no idea what else I will encounter between here and Ducanton. Think hard, both of you, before you decide to travel with me,” he told them and sat down.
Jared took in a deep breath and replied firmly, “I am an educated man, a student of history, and know the opportunity to serve the Chosen Vessel only comes once in a millennia. It would be my honor to provide my services. If the written accounts of Della Lain are anything to go by, you are just beginning to gather whatever support group is necessary to accomplish the task given you. I’m not much to look at in my current state, but please do not let my appearance prejudice you, I can be of help if you let me.”
“We should reach Jeeter before sunset tomorrow, travel with us there if you like, and then decide if you still want to accompany me to Ducanton,” Daniel replied, leaving the decision up to them.
“Jeeter is a prosperous town, you can acquire a silk shirt and some wool pants to go with that fancy coat before we head on into Ducanton,” Jared suggested, making no mentioned of staying behind. If his actions matched his words, that would make him insistent enough, and therefore acceptable as a companion.
“If you will have me, I’ll go with you to Ducanton and beyond. Serving you is a good use of my skills, I will finally be doing something of importance, and it might even be exciting,” Marcus said and smiled as if the prospect of doing something important and exciting pleased him greatly.
Daniel eyed the two men and wondered if their wanting to be with him was out of desperation or were they part of something bigger, like Ruth had said, “The Chosen Vessel draws what he needs.” He could not imagine how either of these fellows fit into his future needs. For now he would follow the elder’s advice and accept these men, and if the going gets too tough for them or they prove untrustworthy, which seemed unlikely, he could let them leave if it is too tough and send them away if they cannot be trusted.
“Both of you have offered your services and neither of you have mentioned anything about wages,” Daniel pointed out. He still had a bag with at least a hundred gold coins in it.
“I was earning ten silvers a month as chief of the men-at-arms. Unless you have an estate that needs guarding or someone to lead your armed escort, I don’t expect much. Frankly, at this point, I would be happy to have a decent meal at least once a day,” Marcus replied.
Jared pursed his lips thoughtfully. He seemed a bit uncomfortable talking about wages and was eyeing what was visible of Daniel’s buckskins. “I earned fifteen silvers a month as account keeper, a fair wage for one of my calling. I will work for whatever you can afford, if that is a decent meal once a day, boots on my feet, and a hat I my head, then so be it.”
Daniel reached into the bag tied to his belt and tossed each of them a gold coin. “You are both now paid up for the month,” he told them and watched as the mouths of the two Teki dropped open.
He was not worried about earning more gold, while he would refrain from counterfeiting Ducaunan coins, it was not beyond him to summon potential and transform a stone into gold. H
e once turned an oak tree into hundreds of arrows. All he had to do was summon the potential for, Change It; a spell that allowed him to form any object into a duplicate of whatever he held in his hand. At the time he had turned the dead oak tree into wood dust, and then took one of Tim’s arrows in hand as the object to be duplicated. There had been a lot of dust so Daniel had pictured in his mind not one duplicate, but five hundred, and actually refined them so they were better than the original. This of course was not the same spell he had used back then, that one had been lost when Efferin Silenced him. This was a new composition meant to replace the other and he only learned during his solitary travels that the object being transformed into the duplicate does not need to be of the same substance as the original. Wood dust into arrows is like to like, turning a handful of pebbles, each weighing about an ounce, from the bottom of a stream into their equivalent in gold coins is something else entirely. He then formed the duplicate coins into a belt buckle, which he was now wearing. Having left his bow and quiver of arrows in Bashierwood, he used the spell to create the ones he was currently using.
The discovery of the planets with their little moons inspired him to compose a Melody while his companions had been talking among themselves along the way, before they met Jared and Marcus, one that could take the little worlds from one object and add them to another. He added a six note harmony and titled the work; Hunger. Change It, could only transform whatever little worlds and moons existed within the object to match that of another. Hunger would give him the ability to draw more of them from another source, like a tree, plant, water, or even rocks. If he wanted to turn a small stone into a boulder, he could draw what was necessary from any nearby object, and create an exact replica many times the size of the original. With these new spells in his repertoire he had no financial concerns, not when he could create any quantity of gold out of dirt.
“Close your mouth or you’ll swallow a bug,” Daniel said and tossed each of the Teki a coin as well, they were his official escorts, and it only seemed fair they should get something more than the dubious honor of his company.
To Be Chosen (The Maestro Chronicles) Page 5