The Fourth Age Shadow Wars: Assassins (The Fourth Age: Shadow Wars Book 1)

by David Pauly

  'We have been in Nerea ever since. Today, relations are still poor between the Northern Forest and the Dwarves, but relatively recently Albericus, King of the Lesser Elves, who dwells in the Great Forest, commanded his nephew, Ferox, who instigated the Great Tragedy, to stop attacking Dwarves, as had been his habit since the Tragedy.'

  'What, the same Ferox we spoke of earlier?'

  'There could not be two such,' said Golbur grimly. 'Now you see why I advised against dealing with him. At any rate, when news of Albericus's unilateral gesture reached the Bastion, a similar command was issued by Tillo. Thus a sort of unofficial cease fire was put into effect, and for five years now, no Dwarf has killed an Elf, and no Elf has slain a Dwarf. Still, the peace is an uneasy one, and Elves and Dwarves do not trust each other—or, for that matter, themselves—to mingle freely, afraid that some accidental insult or unintentional slight, to say nothing of insults and slights purposefully delivered, might reignite hostilities. It is my hope and belief that one day the Lesser Elves and Dwarves will be friends and allies again. Indeed, among my own people, I have encouraged low-level trade meetings with the Lesser Elves of the Great Forest. All strictly unofficial, of course, but a first step to improved relations, you might say. But such is not the desire of the Priests of Parsifal.'

  'There is one more thing,' said Alfrahil. 'Is there any news or even rumors of threats upon the borders of your land?'

  'Well,' mused Golbur, 'there was that troop of Dwarvish lads who came in from patrol in the Never Summer Mountains claiming they had seen a dragon.'

  'A dragon!' cried Alfrahil. 'No dragon has been seen in Nostraterra since the Great War! Do you believe dragons have returned to Nostraterra?'

  'Truthfully, I do not know,' Golbur replied to an astonished Alfrahil. 'The Never Summer Range is largely unexplored, due to the severe cold and the great snowfields. There is much there that is unknown to us. Only now are mining survey parties traversing those distant lands. Besides this unconfirmed report of a dragon, there is nothing I can place my finger upon, my Lord, but some of my kin who are more friendly to Albericus's folk have reported broken bits of conversation overheard during nights of revelry that allow me to think that the Elves might know more,' said Golbur. 'I will let you know what we find.'

  #

  After taking his leave of Golbur, Alfrahil rejoined his Shadows and rode to the outer messenger stables. Caelus was waiting there, in charge of the prince's guard detachment for the day with Alcar hovering near death in the Healer Hall and Biramin too ill to resume his duties. Biramin's second in command had died next to him during the ambush, and there was no one else who had as much experience available to act as Alfrahil's guard captain. Also waiting were one hundred guardsmen, provided by the king. Seeing this escort, Alfrahil sighed, for he had rejected Creon's offer of these men, not wanting his movements to be so conspicuous. But it seemed that the king, as he often did, had decided his own judgment trumped that of his son and Lord Mergin. Knowing there was nothing to be done; Alfrahil returned the salute of the escort captain and rode out toward the city gates.

  Once through the gates, he and his men galloped along the road that traversed the outlands, passing tilled fields and ordered streams. Alfrahil and his men soon reached the south gate of the Out-Walls. Saluted by the outlier guard, Alfrahil exited through the outer gates. He noted that the walls appeared to be in excellent condition. While other buildings may have suffered neglect, the memory of the great siege was still powerful, and the City's engineers made certain that these defenses, at least, were properly maintained.

  A mile later, the ruins of Estellius were clearly visible, with construction scaffolding blurring the outlines of taller buildings. At a smooth canter, it took Alfrahil's company two hours to reach the outskirts of the river city. Alfrahil saw construction work that was slowly but steadily restoring the ruined city to its former glory. Soon Estellius would be a thriving city again, contributing to the might of the country. But more work was being done here than mere renovation and rebuilding; more than civic pride.

  King Creon had long desired to seek the lost Acies of Estellius, the master crystal set that would allow the user to see through all three other sets given to Men. Only the powers of the Greater Elves who had created the Acies could destroy them, so it was generally believed that the Acies must have survived the Great War. If found, they would be intact: their power as great as ever. Creon was determined to take that power for Eldora. The crystal set of Estellius was believed to be buried somewhere in the ruins of Estellius or beneath the bed of the River Aphon, along whose banks the city was set. The search was very much like looking for a needle in a haystack and Creon had made the project a small but still important priority.

  Viewing Estellius now closely, Alfrahil was pleasantly surprised to see how much progress had been made. Indeed, parts of the northern outskirts of the city were already inhabited, settled by the families of the men working to reclaim the rest. Nor was it only workers and their families who had taken up residence in the reviving city. A number of farmers had settled there, taking advantage of Creon's policies encouraging cultivation of the old, abandoned farmsteads, and a few men of business, mostly merchants, kept houses there as well. Before too much longer, Alfrahil hoped, other settlers might move in—homeless veterans of the Shardan campaigns and their families as well as other honorable citizens of Titania who had fallen on hard times through no fault of their own.

  The road to the Aphon Bridge had recently been repaired, and the great gray flagstones, shipped all the way from the hills of the Mala Brynn, echoed beneath the cantering hooves of the horses. Sparks from their iron shoes flashed against the small grains of flint and chert contained within the surface of the flagstones, adding an air of the supernatural about Alfrahil and his guard.

  The bridge itself, though repaired, was narrow, forming a natural choke point for any foes seeking to cross the river. Secretly, after the Great War, the bridge supports were rigged with barrels of secret blasting fire created by the last Earth Spirit of Eldora. Triggered, the blasting fire could and would demolish the bridge, sending the graceful arches tumbling into Aphon. Alfrahil remembered his father declaring that all the great attacks upon Eldora always came from south of the river, honoring history but filled with a healthy dose of paranoia and personal hatred. This justified these rather drastic safety precautions in Creon's mind, though Alfrahil had his doubts that all those from Shardan were treacherous, bent upon destruction.

  After the war, despite Creon's paranoia, trade routes were restored within and without the realm of Eldora, connecting Lesser Elves, Dwarves and Men from all over Nostraterra with one another. Few could afford the honeys and jams of the Hermits of the Southwest Highlands, but those who could, enjoyed a taste that encapsulated the wild flowers better than any other. The Lesser Elves sent out bows and arrows, along with light boats that had no equal. Dwarven goods from the Bastion and the Sandy Hills and fine hops and barley from Chilton, along with preserved meats, for which the Chilton men had become famous, were also in high demand. From southwest along the river, the fisher folk sent their catch, both fresh and dried, up river, while the Men of Shardan sent their annual tribute of gold and elephant tusks.

  All of this commerce was good for the economy of the City and paid for many of the public works projects, such as the investiture of Malius and the reconstruction of Estellius. But both Alfrahil and Mergin had grave doubts as to the accuracy of the taxes and duties that were collected. Far too few men had far too much wealth for there to be an equitable distribution of all these monies. Alfrahil mused that he might speak with his father about having Prince Paladir of Nen Brynn add the customs duties of Estellius to his supervision. While this might place too much power in the prince's hands, Paladir was nothing if not scrupulously honest.

  Clattering over the bridge, Alfrahil admired the mighty Aphon below. The broad expanse of the river was dotted with boatmen and ferrymen moving their cargoes up and down its length
, calling out to each other and singing as they went. Directly below he saw the sunken battlements and broken bridge pilings that had once supported the heart of the city of Estellius itself. Somewhere down there, mused Alfrahil, the master crystal set of all the Acies might still lie, covered in broken stone and decayed woods eaten by the river worms, slimy with algae. Other treasures were there for the finding: gold and silver both wrought and in coins, precious gems and ancient statues, and other valuable items lurked under the mud and silt of the river bottom. Not for nothing did the lesser sons of the fisher-folk dive into those perilous depths, fixing ropes and grapnels to the ancient ruins, risking their lives for a find that might bring them—even after the king had taken his half—more than they might otherwise earn in a lifetime of hard labor. What drew them even more was the reward that Creon had promised to anyone who should recover the lost Acies: the finder's weight in gold and precious stones. Alfrahil smiled, remembering a young man who had paid a crystal-maker in Titania an entire month's wages to make a counterfeit Acies, though no one in the kingdom, other than the king himself, actually knew what they looked like. The King had been so amused when the dripping youth had presented his crystal tubes that, instead of punishing him, he had given him command of a small company of divers, stating that such ingenuity, while misplaced, was not to be overlooked. Still, Alfrahil's heart quailed when he thought of the number of young men who died every year, trapped beneath the debris or bursting their lungs on one final dive late in the day. So many young men lost, seeking in the depths of the Aphon a treasure that might be somewhere else entirely.

  'And even if it is here,' thought Alfrahil, 'what good will it do the King? How many Acies can be used to see at one time?'

  While Alfrahil knew the master crystal set was rumored to contain many qualities that the Acies of Titania, Amadeus, and Hiberius did not, what they specifically were only Creon knew: secrets that were useless until and if the master set was found. The Amadeus set was currently useless as Creon refused to teach Prince Frederick how to use it. Alfrahil knew that, as the heir to the throne, someday his father would teach him to use the Acies, but Creon seemed in no hurry to do so.

  Alfrahil came out of his thoughts as they left the bridge and set foot on the southern shore. Here the only rebuilding that had yet occurred was to the defenses and earthworks. Seeing that the sun was already setting, Alfrahil decided to press no farther today. Quarters had been prepared for him on the southern edge of the city. There he inquired of the local guard detachment where the encampment of the Lesser Elves was to be found, and, on receiving the answer, dispatched a messenger inviting Hilforas to visit the next morning, after his inspection of the southern outworks. Afterward, he stripped off his armor and clothing, took a steaming hot bath, enjoyed a hearty dinner washed down with a mug of the Dwarven ale that he had developed a taste for while studying at the Bastion—a keg of which he brought with him whenever possible on long trips such as this—and fell into a deep and dreamless sleep.

  CHAPTER TEN: ELVES

  Alfrahil arose early the next morning and breakfasted quickly, eager to meet with Hilforas and see what the Lesser Elves could tell him about the cloaks used in the ambush. An Elf messenger was conducted into his presence and told him that Hilforas had received his invitation and would ride down from Hiberius to meet with him later that afternoon. Alfrahil thanked the Elf, and then embarked on his inspection tour of the southern breastworks of Estellius.

  Luncheon had been arranged at a nearby inn. Alfrahil walked there along the riverbank with Caelus and his other guards, enjoying the peaceful surroundings. There were no trees here, nor for ten leagues east and west within two furlongs of the river's edge. While willows and small fruit trees would grow most handily, ancient decrees denying cover for an attacking enemy held to this day. Instead, vegetable gardens, vineyards, and patches of sun-loving herbs grew here, well tended by the local farmers.

  Alfrahil came across two young children fishing from the bank. The boys, who by appearance must have been brothers, the elder seeming to be about ten years old, the younger no more than five, scrambled to their feet at the sight of the prince and his retinue. They seemed about to run but then evidently thought better of it and stood close together, clutching to each other's hands, their fishing poles forgotten at their feet as they gazed fearfully at Alfrahil.

  'Well met, boys,' said Alfrahil cheerfully. 'Is the fishing good here?'

  The elder boy stammered an anxious reply in the thick accent of the local farmers. 'We meant no harm, sir. We wouldn't sell no fish; don't tell the Guild.'

  'Guild?' asked Alfrahil. 'What guild are you talking about, child?'

  'I can answer that, my Lord,' said Caelus. 'Recently a Fishing Guild of the river was created, whereby the fisher-folk of the Delta enjoy a monopoly on all fish caught from the island of Innis Mallow, here in the River Aphon, westward to the sea.'

  'What has that do to with these boys spending a pleasant afternoon trying to catch their dinner?' asked Alfrahil.

  'Well, my Lord, if the boys catch their own dinner, then they or their parents will not have to buy their fish from the Guild, so the Guild loses money,' said Caelus.

  Not for the first time, it occurred to Alfrahil that all the hours spent in academic study had ill-prepared him for the realities of daily life. As had happened earlier, following the shock of the ambushes, Alfrahil felt rage boil up in him—rage against those who would spoil the world as it should have been: a world without injustice and greed.

  'So,' he said to Caelus, 'the men of money would take away even the simple pleasures of innocent children. Well do I recall the good times that Daerahil and I once shared fishing along this very bank in our childhood. Now these two youngsters would be punished for simply exercising what should be the birthright of all Eldoran boys.'

  The oldest boy, listening to this speech with mouth agape now broke in. 'Please, sir, don't whip my brother. The fault were all mine. Whip me, but let my brother go. He don't know nothing about the Guild.'

  'Whipping!' cried Alfrahil in disbelief. 'Who would whip you and why?'

  Caelus replied again for the boys. 'The Fishing Guild now routinely pays guardsmen who find people fishing in the river to whip them as an example of what happens to those who break the charter of the Guild.'

  'Since when do the terms of a guild charter supersede the laws of Eldora?' demanded Alfrahil. 'The rivers of the realm have always been open to the use of common folk. How long has this monstrosity been going on?'

  'The Guild received their monopoly last year from the Council of Merchants, but only recently have they begun enforcing their codes upon the populace,' Caelus replied.

  'Why has nothing been said in Council of this? Does my father know of these outrages? Why was I not advised?'

  'Lord, little of the minutiae of the average lives of our citizens passes into the Third District, much less into the Citadel,' said Caelus. 'What little does is certainly prevented from reaching the ears of the King, yourself, and most of the senior ministers by those who would stand to lose money if your grace were informed of the true state of events.'

  'What of Mergin and my father's other counselors? Surely they would not have allowed this to go on?'

  'Perhaps not, Lord, had they known. But the Fishing Guild is one of many that pay handsomely into the coffers of the Council of Merchants, and the Council of Merchants in turn pays handsomely into the private coffers of the men who serve as ministers. These men do not inquire too deeply into the source of these funds, or question what they are told. They are eager to accommodate the interests of those who are so generous in their contributions.'

  'This is treason,' said Alfrahil.

  'No, Lord,' said Caelus calmly. 'It is merely politics as usual.'

  'What of my brother? What is his part in all this? Is he also ignorant of these practices?'

  Looking troubled, Caelus replied softly, 'I cannot speak for your brother, my Lord, but he does spend quite a bit of ti
me being flattered and courted by the Merchants, Guilds, and their minions.'

  Aghast at the state of things, Alfrahil spoke his thought aloud. 'How long has this been going on, and what can I do about it?'

  'I don't know, Lord, for rumor has corruption reaching the highest levels within the City, and there are those who would not take kindly to any efforts that would reduce their profits.'

  Humiliated at his complete ignorance of these events, and chiding himself inwardly for living so long with closed eyes, Alfrahil replied bitterly. 'Profit before honor, greed instead of noble purpose, complacency before deeds: so does vice and apathy cloak itself in virtue throughout Eldora. Thank you, Caelus, for sharing this with me. I see more clearly now how a man of your ability and honesty ran afoul of vested interests.'

  Turning to one of his other guards, he bade the man summon the local River Guard Watch Commander to meet him at the inn.

  Then Alfrahil bent and picked up one of the willow poles and handed it to the elder boy. 'Return to your fishing, lad,' he said kindly. 'I am Alfrahil, your prince, and by my command no one shall trouble you again for fishing here or anywhere in the realm. The bounty of Aphon belongs equally to all loyal citizens of Eldora.'

  The boy nodded but seemed otherwise not to understand what was happening. His younger brother could not even manage a nod, gazing at Alfrahil with an awestruck expression, as if he were not merely a prince but a god.