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

by David Pauly

  'Now you know something of our magic, young prince,' said Priscus. 'Use this gift well.'

  Only then did Alfrahil realize that he had been as one with the powers of the Magi. And something of that exposure had stayed with him. He found that he could now sense emotion, and it seemed to him that, with practice and time, he might even learn to influence the emotions of others. It came to him that his mind had been expanded in ways that he had never dreamed of. For better or worse, his thought processes had been irrevocably changed. As he considered the burden that had been laid upon him with the Magi's influence and song, he was not certain if he had been given a great gift or a terrible curse.

  'You have received aid of the Magi that none of your kind has ever received,' said Priscus.

  'I am grateful,' said Alfrahil. 'But why me?'

  'Do not forget that I have seen your thoughts, young prince. I have plumbed the depths of your heart. It is a true heart, and stouter than you know. We Magi will need a firm ally amongst Men, one who will not betray our trust. This magic will aid you to feel perceptions that no other Men can feel. Moreover, you will be able to sense the feelings and emotions of others, and determine the truth of their words, but not their actual thoughts without detection. This is something that your father and your brother cannot do.'

  'How is this different from the abilities of my father and brother?'

  'Their ability comes from the unique mingling of Elven blood they carry in a fashion unknown even to me. This talent is not given to either the Greater or Lesser Elves, so your father and brother are the only corporeal beings who have this ability. Despite the fact that you carry the same blood, for reasons unknown to me their skills did not pass to you. These new abilities we have given you derive from an older and purer source than the magic of Elves. It will take you many years, if not decades, to master the powers you now possess. You must practice when and where you can. And you must keep what has passed between us here secret from all others, for an unsuspecting mind is much easier to read and influence than one that is forewarned. I hope you have a sense of the enormity of the gift that we have given you. Use it well, young prince. If your loyalty to us ever wavers, however, this gift will be withdrawn, and you will be a mere mortal again.'

  'I will use it well indeed, and as for my loyalty, insofar as it does not conflict with my duty to king and country, I will be a firm and faithful ally to the Magi.'

  'That is all we can ask,' said Priscus, who seemed pleased with this response.

  'What else can I do to aid you beyond what you have already asked of me?' inquired Alfrahil.

  'As I have said, once you have learned more, return here. But if you want to aid us further, have your father command that Men stop the felling of trees and the tilling of natural grasslands. Be content with the lands already altered by Men and let the wild things grow in peace.'

  'I will do what I can,' said Alfrahil. 'In frankness, I must tell you that I doubt my words will have the effect you desire. As the numbers of Men increase, they seek new land to live upon, to plant their crops and build their homes. It is only natural.'

  'Man is not all of nature, young prince,' said Priscus. 'Your kind would do well to remember that. The way of harmony with nature is the best way, as the Elves have long understood.'

  'Men are not Elves, either,' said Alfrahil. 'But I will do my best to make your wishes in this matter known.'

  'Good,' said Priscus, his form dissolving back into the mists, until only the whirling chartreuse orbs of his eyes were visible. 'Return now to your men, young prince; rest within the Vale this night as our guests. But you must depart at first light from our land.'

  As Alfrahil left the grove of trees, he felt his mind and his spirit strengthened, his sense of purpose reinforced. His doubt and fear remained, but it was tempered by hope as he now had a tool that no other had to rely upon, and he was eager to learn the extent and nature of his new abilities.

  #

  Emerging from the glade, Alfrahil strode toward Caelus and the rest of his guard, who were busy laying out their bed-rolls and passing around leather flasks of wine and cold dried food. 'Lord, are you all right?' asked an anxious Caelus.

  'Indeed I am,' said Alfrahil.

  'What happened, my Lord?' asked Caelus.

  Alfrahil felt the wonder and fear of the guards, combined with their respect. He could not yet distinguish individual emotions, but even so, the raw flood of sensations he was experiencing threatened to overwhelm him. Yet just as the Magi had gifted him with this enhanced sensitivity to the thoughts and emotions of Men, so, too, it seemed, had they given him the means to control it, for as if by instinct, a kind of mental barrier slipped into place, muting the onslaught to a bearable level. Only then was he able to answer Caelus. 'I received the aid of the Magi,' he said. 'That is what happened.'

  'What aid?' Caelus persisted.

  'I cannot say,' Alfrahil responded. 'And that is all I will ever answer on this matter.'

  'But are you sure you are well, Lord?'

  'I have never felt better,' replied Alfrahil. 'Rarely have my days seemed so clear of purpose, especially after these recent events in Eldora.' Knowing the origin of his newfound clarity, Alfrahil wondered for a moment if he was now a puppet of the Magi rather than a free man. But he quickly dismissed the idea. He knew instinctively that whatever the Magi had done to him, their gift had not changed who he was. Rather, he felt more confident in himself than ever, and he was eager to resume his search for the hidden enemies who sought to destroy Eldora and bring evil back to Nostraterra.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN: SOULLESS

  Alfrahil and his company were riding back the way that they had come, along the Encircling Mountains, when they encountered errand riders of Kozak coming toward them along the sandy track.

  'Hail, Prince Alfrahil,' cried the leading rider. 'We bear news that one of the bridges over the marshes has come loose, drifting downstream.'

  Alfrahil asked how the bridge had come loose.

  'We are not sure, Lord. Some of the anchoring ropes appear to have been chewed through by the water moles infesting the swamp, and one of the pontoons under the bridge filled with water, straining the remaining ropes until they broke. The only way to return eastward is through the forest. If you take that route, you should meet a patrol from Shardan returning to Mostyn.'

  'Is there no alternative?' asked Alfrahil.

  'We have scouted the first two fords over the river, but with the snow melt from the mountains, they are too deep to cross. Perhaps one of the southern fords above the Great River is usable, but we have not heard from our scouts sent to investigate. If you like, you can return to Mostyn until we know if you can proceed home without going through the forest.'

  Pausing as if in thought; Alfrahil slowly opened his mind to his new powers. He sensed the minds of his men digesting the news brought by the Kozaki riders. He then extended his powers toward the Kozaki. His control was crude, but he sensed no subterfuge in them.

  'We will go by the forest route,' he said.

  'Very well, Lord,' said the Kozaki rider. 'We must press on. Safe travels to you.'

  'And to you,' replied Alfrahil.

  #

  An hour later, Alfrahil and his men entered the forest. The bright light that had characterized the grasslands was now dappled in hints of green and gold, and the brisk west wind was reduced to a gentle wafting. The rich forest loam emanated a verdant smell of life and fertility.

  Alfrahil extended his new senses several times as they rode, searching for treachery or other negative emotions, but his mind became increasingly weary with each attempt, until finally he could not summon sufficient strength any longer. He knew that practice would bring greater proficiency and stamina, but for now he must use his new powers sparingly, and only at need. Yet a moment came when he felt a dark and bitter intrusion of emotion come into his mind, strong enough to register without an active search. Not sure what this meant, if anything, and recalling Priscus' warning
to keep his powers secret, he said nothing. But he became more alert than ever, wishing that he had held some of his strength back instead of wasting his mental energies in fruitless exercise.

  The feeling soon ebbed, however, leaving Alfrahil uncertain if he had imagined it. But then he felt something sharp bounce off of his shoulder and heard something heavy hit the ground near his horse's hindquarters. The animal whinnied and shied, holding its rear leg off the ground and causing Alfrahil to lurch forward in his saddle, nearly falling to the ground. Meanwhile, a rain of objects fell from the tree branches overhead. Other horses shied, and several riders fell from their mounts. In another moment, it was over.

  Alfrahil dismounted and, lifting his horse's rear leg, found a caltrop imbedded in its hoof. Nor was his horse the only one thus afflicted.

  'Be ready, men,' Alfrahil called out, drawing his sword. 'We've stumbled into a trap!'

  No sooner had he spoken then he heard a cry from behind him. Turning, he saw several masked men, wearing heavy boots against the caltrops, charge toward the horses, waving torches and shouting. The spooked horses bolted, running onto the rest of the caltrops, which only served to further unnerve them. Whinnying and neighing, they plunged blindly, and many riders who had not fallen in the first wave of the attack were now thrown from their horses.

  Suddenly more torches appeared in front of them, and the horses and their riders were forced back into a confused mass in the road. Dozens of small, dark, lithe forms dropped from the trees, squirming as they fell. One of these shapes fell onto Caelus, and Alfrahil was horrified to see that it was a Stone Asp, the deadliest snake in the world.

  Mottled in dark shades of gray and brown, the small but terribly toxic snake flared a small hood from behind its neck, its black eyes staring remorselessly at its victim. There was no known antidote for the poison of a Stone Asp. If bitten, even a strong man could expect to last no more than fifteen or twenty minutes, and most victims succumbed even sooner.

  Swiftly, the snake struck the neck of Caelus. He cried out, clutching his throat as the snake slid off onto the ground, where it struck the near foreleg of Caelus's horse. The horse, screaming in pain, threw Caelus to the ground, where more snakes were writhing. Alfrahil saw another asp strike Caelus repeatedly as he lunged blindly amongst the horses and men, gasping his final breath.

  Alfrahil felt a cold, slick surface moving momentarily along his exposed neck, but before the asp could strike, a Shadow flung it off of him. Turning to the men that had not yet fallen victim to the snakes, Alfrahil cried for them to form two defensive lines.

  The masked men who had caused the horses to bolt now resumed their attack. Arrows skipped off the armor of the knights, though some found their mark. The Shadows counterattacked, their curved Hagarian swords flicking and flashing as they darted in and out of the masked men. There were ten attackers in the rear and fifteen in the front, and while Alfrahil's company numbered ninety-five men, forty at least had fallen victim to the snakes, and another ten had mounts that charged wildly into the group of front attackers, where they were swiftly slain. But the five Shadows turned the tide of battle, aided by the knights of Kelsea, though one Shadow went down from a poisoned blade.

  The attackers pelted the company with more arrows. As the horses would not go past the hissing snakes, the company was forced to retreat back down the road. But they had not gotten far before a new batch of snakes was dropped onto the road behind them. Men hidden in the branches of the trees slid down ropes and began to fire arrows into the trapped men. The only way out was through the trees, and Alfrahil knew with certainty, extending his last mental energy, that there were more men hidden along the road's edges waiting for them to do so.

  At that moment, when all hope seemed lost, a deep horn was heard. Looking down the road toward the east, Alfrahil saw a large troop of Kozaki riding toward them at speed, lances held ready. This charge caught the attackers unaware, and many of them were slain before they were able to retreat through the trees. The rear-most villains, seeing that their moment was gone, sped their final shafts, all aimed at Alfrahil, but alert Shadows plucked the arrows out of the air before they could strike home. The attackers then retreated into the forest as the Kozaki horsemen stopped just before the first group of asps in the road. The snakes coiled and hissed, striking at any man or beast that drew too near.

  Using their lances, the riders slashed and crushed the snakes into the dirt, freeing the road for Alfrahil, who, weary and shocked at yet another attempt on his life, slumped forward to the ground next to his horse. The Kozaki captain stood in his saddle, ordering half of his men to pursue the brigands and report back. Alfrahil tried to rise and speak coherently, when the terror he had been fighting against since the attack began overcame him and he distantly heard himself mumble over and over again. A firm hand at his shoulder pulled him upright and a Shadow hissed, 'My lord, you must rise for the respect of our realm!'

  As he was pulled into an upright position, Alfrahil heard the Shadow say, 'Captain, this is our crown prince, Alfrahil. He was struck by a mace hurled by a brigand. Do you have any wine that might revive him? Above all we thank you for your bravery and for saving our lives.'

  'My name is Trystan, leader of this Faris. You are welcome, Prince Alfrahil,' said the Kozaki leader to a semi-coherent Alfrahil. Glancing around him for a moment, Trystan did not see any mace or other weapon; indeed, the prince looked physically intact. Handing over a small silver flask with spirits of Dorian to the man aiding Alfrahil, Trystan watched the man have a quick drink, checking for poison. Much of the flask was then poured into Alfrahil, who choked and sputtered before trying to sit up straight again, this time succeeding.

  'Prince Alfrahil, we were returning from a patrol in Shardan and were advised that the southern route was closed. Hearing the sounds of battle, we rushed to your aid. It was fortunate that we were nearby, or I fear that Eldora would have lost a prince today.'

  Alfrahil began to focus again and said, 'Thank you, Trystan, for your timely aid. I must see to my men.'

  Trystan saw Alfrahil begin to turn towards his men, but the soldier aiding him instead gently turned Alfrahil's shoulders until they pointed towards a saddled horse of the Kozaki away from the dead and the dying, and glanced meaningfully at Trystan. Nodding to the soldier, Trystan said, 'Let us get you to safety. I will leave ten of my riders behind, along with enough spare horses to help your men to safety.'

  'I cannot leave my men behind, as they may be in great danger still,' said Alfrahil weakly.

  'Lord, if the stories from Eldora are to be believed, this trap was set for you and you alone. The sooner you are away from your men, the safer they will be,' replied Trystan.

  Seeing the wisdom in this, Alfrahil agreed and was too weary to search the man's mind for treachery.

  'We will escort you a mile east from these woods for your safety while we wait until my men return to make certain we are not pursued.'

  Alfrahil looked at the tanned cavalry rider closely for the first time, noting that he was shorter in stature than the typical Kozaki, and had dark brown hair. Grimly Alfrahil nodded, not knowing what else to say. Once again he had led men into a catastrophe, most of them perishing, and had barely escaped with his own life again. He heard the screams of the dead and dying, along with shouts of fighting rapidly fading away, and the terror and grief pushed aside by the liquor returned nearly as strong as before, but he clamped down on his feelings.

  Now Alfrahil mounted the fresh horse, glancing around and seeing that nearly all of the Eldoran horses were down. Looking at his beautiful stallion, Helfaloth, Alfrahil saw that he was limping from two caltrops that had punctured his hooves. Spare horses from the Kozaki were quickly leant to the Shadows, and escorting Alfrahil they galloped eastward with Trystan until they cleared the edge of the forest.

  Alfrahil heard Trystan call a halt, and seeing that he was safe for now, Alfrahil ordered one of the Shadows to return and take charge of the remnants of Alfrahil's
guards, sending those strong enough to ride to rendezvous with Alfrahil here.

  'Yes my lord.' The Shadow turned and galloped back into the forest as Alfrahil waited with Trystan for his men to return. Alfrahil tried to feel the thoughts of Trystan, but many men with strong emotions were too close for Alfrahil's exhausted, grief stricken mind to perceive anything but general anger and confusion, with a faint wash of the deep foreboding he had sensed earlier. Cursing under his breath, he wished that he had been able to spend more time with Priscus, learning how to use this new power.

  #

  Two hours later, Alfrahil had recovered much of his composure when the riders chasing the brigands returned and spoke to Trystan, while the Shadow who accompanied them approached Alfrahil.

  'Only eleven men survived,' the Shadow reported, 'and three of those are so wounded that they may not survive this day. They are too injured to move, but the Kozaki have agreed to tend to them in place until a healer from Titania can arrive. Of the remaining eight, two knights of Kelsea, along with six ordinary guardsmen, are ready to ride, and they were lent spare mounts.'

  'Thank you, Shadow. Trystan, what of your men?

  'I lost ten men searching for the attackers, but we slew twenty-three and are pursuing the rest. Do not worry: we shall have them dead or alive.'

  'I would prefer alive. Could you not have captured any of the twenty-three for questioning?'

  'We tried, Lord. But they took their own lives before we could do so.'

  'I meant no criticism. It was the same with the men who attacked me in the city. They are a determined lot.'

  'Fanatics, no doubt.'

  'Perhaps. In any case, Trystan, thank you for all of your efforts on my behalf and on behalf of my men. Eldora owes you a debt that will be difficult to repay.'

  'We are happy to honor our obligations, your grace. Leave the accounting to the bankers. All we ask is that you remember your debt of honor and that you repay it if ever you can aid Kozak.'

  The entire party then moved eastward. By the end of the day, they had passed from the edge of the forest and made their way to a small fortress that lay along the border between Kozak and Eldora. Entering, Alfrahil had Helfaloth examined and tended to by the horse healer and laid his head down on a rustic cot provided for him by the soldiers of the fortress.