Devan Chronicles Series: Books 1-3

by Mark E. Cooper

  Keverin smirked. “There’s no doubt of it my love. Purcell threatened to dump me in the horse trough if I chose Gy as sword brother.”

  “And what did Gy say to that?”

  “He said he would dump me in if I didn’t choose him!”

  Julia laughed. She wouldn’t mind watching that… from a safe distance of course. “So choose Jihan. No one would dare try it with him as sword brother.”

  “You’re right!” Keverin said but then he shook his head. “No, I’ve known Gy and Purcell for years. Jihan will understand.”

  Jihan would understand, that was true, but it would solve a problem. Kev had been Jihan’s sword brother when he married Ahnao. It would be nice if he could return the favour and stand beside Kev.

  “Maybe you’re right. I could always ask one of them to stand as my father.”

  Keverin groaned.

  “What?”

  “If you do that they won’t know where to turn. Both of them want to stand with me, but when they hear you need one of them, they will both want to do that as well!”

  Julia chuckled, he was right. “I thought Mathius could do it, but he’s my age. Besides, he’s my brother not my father.”

  “Hmmm. What of this Best Man you spoke of? Perhaps Mathius could be that.”

  “You have it backwards. A best man is for the groom—like a sword brother.”

  “Oh.”

  She would think of something. Mathius would like to be included. He was the last of Keverin’s mages—the last survivor from before her arrival. He would be hurt if she left him out. Maybe she should just go ahead and make him the bride’s father and damn the age thing? Julia sighed. It just didn’t feel right. She would give it more thought.

  They reached the clearing around mid-morning. The trees had been felled to provide a space large enough for the folk of West Town to live and work, but most of the stumps had yet to be removed. There were tents and campfires all over with no obvious plan behind their positioning. Hundreds of men were hammering and sawing while their wives bustled about carrying things back and forth. A large group were working to prepare a community meal. Even the children were hard at work, though theirs was a different task. Father Tulley was the only teacher they had but his school was in full swing. The church had no doors, windows, or roof, but it did have walls. It was the only building anywhere near completion. Julia and Keverin’s arrival caused quite a stir. The menfolk downed tools and trotted to line the road cheering their lord and the wagons of supplies he brought. Someone called Julia’s name and the others took it up. She smiled and nodded to a face she knew here and there, but Keverin didn’t stop.

  “Hurrah!”

  “Hurrah for Keverin and Julia!”

  “Hurrah!”

  Julia smiled. Hurrah for twenty wagons of supplies too?

  The new town was barely begun but Julia could see the work was progressing apace. The streets were laid out in straight lines with pegs and string. Someone was thinking ahead, she noted. The streets were wide. She was surprised to find the town square, which the church doors opened onto, already complete. The road had been widened to make a large paved square, and by the looks of the pegs, it would have buildings lining it all round. Further along there were foundations for houses lining the highroad with more following the lanes that branched from it. The lanes were little more than string and pegs as yet. Julia could see that Dergan was building for the future. The houses here in the centre of town would be three stories and by the look of those she could see, they would all have deep cellars.

  “This is excellent,” Keverin said looking around in pleasure. “Truly excellent.”

  “I agree, but why do you think so?”

  “Market Square is more than big enough to accommodate a town twice the size of the old West Town, and they set it athwart the highroad.”

  “You expect the town to grow?”

  “Not necessarily, but I prefer this to the reverse.”

  Julia nodded. “And it’s placement?”

  “More trade,” he said simply.

  If trade ever came, it would come via the highroad or the river. Dergan had allowed for the possibility. Another road, laid to join the centre of Market Square on one side, ran straight as an arrow to the river. There was a ramshackle jetty there. It looked old.

  Keverin dismounted and lifted Julia down before turning to greet Father Tulley and Dergan. Tulley was a young priest. He hadn’t lived in West Town long before the evacuation, but even so, he had settled in and was respected by the people.

  “My lord,” Tulley said with a bow. “My lady,” he bowed again. “Welcome to Morton.”

  Julia gaped. “But…” How did they know?

  “I told them,” Keverin said with a grin.

  “We wanted to honour you, m’lady,” Dergan said into the hush that descended over the people. “The Lord said you have two names. Some said we should call it Julia Town, but I think Morton sounds better.”

  “It does… I mean thank you.” Julia turned with bright eyes to scan the crowds of grinning folk. “Thank you all. My father would have been honoured to lend his name to such a wonderful place.”

  Dergan grinned then scowled at all the onlookers. “Back to work! Back to work if you want a roof over your heads!”

  Grumbles and chuckles abounded, but they knew Dergan was right. They dispersed to go back to building their homes.

  “We have plenty of room to set the tents, my lord,” Tulley said and pointed toward the hundreds that were already up to house the townsfolk. “We have our meal at—”

  Julia peered around at all the busy people and grinned at the children peeking hopefully out of the church. They wanted the rest of the day off. The sun said it was still only midmorning, but what harm in having a day off from school? Julia grinned again and decided to conspire with them.

  “—generous, my lord. Wendell was bemoaning the lack only yesterday,” Tulley was saying.

  Wendell was the smith for Morton. Julia raised an eyebrow, and Keverin nodded at the wagons. The guardsmen were moving off to set up a camp. The wagon drivers had pulled off the road and were moving toward the piles of lumber and stone awaiting the building projects. There was a good stock of building materials, but never was there enough for an entire town. The piles of stone seemed to dwindle as she watched. Lumber wasn’t a problem, there were millions of trees right nearby.

  “He has his smithy built?” Keverin asked looking around.

  “Not the walls, m’lord,” Dergan answered. “But we did the floor and foundations for him. We needed the forge first thing.”

  Keverin nodded. “I don’t see it anywhere.”

  “I’ll show you, m’lord. Wendell will be right pleased when he hears you brought his iron. He’s helping the others square wood for the church joists, but he prefers metal to wood.”

  Keverin nodded. “Julia?”

  “I’ll stay with the good Father. He can give me a tour.”

  “Honoured, lady,” Tulley said with a bow.

  “I will see you soon then,” Keverin said and turned back to Dergan. “Lead on.”

  “This way, m’lord,” Dergan said and they wandered off chatting.

  To Tulley’s great embarrassment, Julia took his arm and walked with him into the church. She grinned again to see all the little faces back at the benches hard at work.

  “My, your children seem very hard working, Father. How ever do you do it?”

  Tulley beamed at his students. “They are good, but I cannot take credit my lady.”

  “Call me Julia won’t you?”

  “Oh, oh… I couldn’t. You honour me lady, but I couldn’t.”

  Julia sighed. “Lady Julia then. Please? For me?”

  “For you my lady… Julia,” he said with a red-faced nod.

  “You were saying about the children?” Julia said to distract him from his embarrassment. She’d had a lot of practise with this kind of thing.

  “I was saying that I couldn’t
take credit, Lady Julia. They have ever been well behaved—except one or two,” he said with a mild glare at the offenders.

  Julia chuckled as the two boys bent to their work again. She walked behind a row of girls and peered over their shoulders. She would guess their ages ranged from seven up. The oldest was more woman than girl. She frowned at the childish hand most of them used to do their work. She leaned forward and took up one of the slates.

  “Are they all like this?”

  Tulley reached out to see what she had found. “Ah… yes. Most of them are, but they are new at this.”

  “Oh?”

  “Yes indeed, lady,” Tulley said and handed the slate back to the girl. “Lord Keverin has strong views.”

  Julia knew that well, but what did that have to do with a child’s handwriting?

  “The Lord has always encouraged the Church to teach his people—boys and girls both, but it’s not until now that I have been allowed to do so.”

  “Allowed?” Julia said in puzzlement and looked around the church. There were more girls sitting here than boys, and the girl’s ages were higher. Most of the boys were less than eight years old she would say. “Who could prevent you?”

  “The bishop, my lady.”

  “Gideon?” Julia said in disbelief. “Why would he?”

  “Not Bishop Gideon, my lady, his predecessor. Bishop Jymis and the Lord never did see eye to eye. Nobles are taught to cipher, common folk are not, but lord Keverin wished to extend the offer to all his people. Jymis refused as is his right as bishop.”

  “But then Gideon was raised?”

  “Yes, Lady.”

  “Julia.”

  Tully smiled at her correction. “That’s right, Lady Julia. Bishop Gideon sees things differently. He wrote to me and all his other priests encouraging us to seek out students for other lessons.”

  “You have plenty here,” Julia said pleased with Gideon. “You teach them to read and write?”

  Tulley nodded. “Ciphering, the art of the mathematic, scripture of course, history of Deva, some history of the Protectorate as well… the Protectorate is heavily linked with our past.”

  “I understand. I don’t hate the Protectorate, Father, only those who would kill my people.”

  Tulley’s face lightened. “There are many good people there. It’s a shame they are misled into heresy.”

  “Heresy?”

  “They believe that Lord Mortain is the voice of God on this Earth. They are mistaken.”

  “And what is the view of the Church?”

  “That heresy is the worst of crimes, but those deluded by the sorcerers are not to blame.”

  “An enlightened view,” Julia murmured.

  “The Holy Father would see them come to the true faith, but I do not see that happening. As long as the sorcerers hold sway and remain their people’s teachers, the heresy will continue.”

  Julia nodded and walked along the rows noting that the lesson varied widely from student to student. Some of the older girls were practising the alphabet and they needed it. The younger ones seemed better at it and were writing sentences already. The boys were doing math. “You don’t teach one lesson at a time?”

  “No Lady, of course not. Each child learns at his own pace, as do we all.”

  Julia nodded. The children weren’t pressured to learn, and that was good, but teaching this way would take longer.

  “Would you like another priest to help you?”

  “Why? My duties are not burdensome. I would wish the other children here, but I am happy enough with these.”

  “There are others?”

  “Indeed. The older boys work alongside their fathers or are apprenticed in trade. They will not come, and many of the girls are kept back by their parents.”

  That annoyed her. “I will talk to Keverin about it. I’ll see if he can’t make them release the children for part of the day—the morning at least.”

  “Would you, Lady? That would please me greatly.”

  “I can’t promise,” Julia warned. “But I will speak with him.”

  “Thank you, Lady”

  It was time for some conspiracy. “How about that tour?”

  “The children—”

  “Surely one day wouldn’t hurt?” Julia said smiling at the suddenly hopeful faces.

  “I suppose… yes,” Tulley said and walked to the Altar. He clapped his hands for attention. “Lady Julia has asked for a tour of our town. You will have this day to yourselves. Thank the Lady.”

  “Thank… you… Lady… Jul… i… a,” the children sing-songed together.

  “You are welcome,” Julia said and smiled as they jumped to their feet.

  “Walk! Don’t run!” Tulley shouted and the rush subsided a moment until they were outside. Screams of childish delight were raised and they ran off to play.

  Julia and Tulley smiled as they left the church. “Full of energy,” she said.

  “Too much, sometimes,” Tulley said as they crossed the square. “What would you see first, Lady?”

  “Oh, I don’t mind Father. I’m here for a few days. No doubt I’ll have time to see it all. You choose.”

  Tulley nodded. “Along this side we have the inn and its stables.”

  “What about that one?”

  “Houses, but they have yet to start on those. Too many stumps.”

  Julia frowned. There were a lot of men stripped to the waist with spades and axes attacking the stubborn things. “Let us go see,” she said with a vague notion forming in her head.

  “As you wish, Lady.”

  They walked along the road toward the struggling men. Apart from the pegs, there was nothing to distinguish the road from the surrounding land. Stone was in short supply it seemed.

  “Where does the stone come from for the roads?”

  “Same place as for the foundations, Lady.” Tulley nodded toward the wagons being unloaded. “The stockpiles are all that is left from two seasons of work.”

  “I meant the quarry.”

  “Oh. The hills to the south have plenty of rock, Lady. There are heaps all around the old mine. It’s stone we are short of.”

  “The mason?”

  “Him and his apprentices are working non-stop and have been since this site was given us by the Lord, but they can’t keep pace.”

  “What will you do when you run out?”

  Tulley grimaced. “Use wood I suppose. That’s why we stopped using stone on anything other than foundations after finishing Market Square and River Road.”

  “I’ll talk with Kev. Maybe we could reuse the old stone in West Pass.”

  “Forgive my saying so Lady, but that would be more trouble than it’s worth,” Tulley said and at her surprised look he explained. “Stone is heavy. You can’t carry much in a wagon and Athione is a long way from here. Then there is the Gap to consider. We would have to build a sturdy bridge just to cart up a few blocks at a time. The wagons would make their way here, and then have to turn around empty for the return trip and—”

  “I get the picture,” Julia said ruefully. “That means I understand,” she added at his confused look.

  “Get the picture? Get the picture…” he said and shook his head very much like Keverin did when she said something he didn’t understand. “I like that, Lady. I have learned something this day.”

  Julia smiled and stepped over the rope boundary of the road. They stopped to watch dozens of sweaty men heaving on ropes while others chopped frantically at stubborn root systems.

  “Heave!” the first man on the rope shouted.

  “And here she goes!” his comrades sang in response.

  “Heave!”

  “The God knows.”

  “Heave!”

  “And here she goes!”

  “Heave!”

  “The God knows.”

  Tulley smiled and circled his heart. “He does know.”

  Julia nodded her agreement. “He does, but that stump isn’t coming.”

&n
bsp; “Redwood, Lady. They’re stubborn,” a sweaty man said leaning on his axe panting.

  Julia pursed her lips in thought and stepped forward.

  “Heave!”

  “And here she… goes,” the song stuttered to a confused halt.

  “Heave?” the man said one more time and stopped pulling.

  “Do you mind if I have a look?” Julia asked the men as they brought their axes to the ground and leaned on them tiredly.

  They were exhausted. Sweat rained from them and there shiny bodies bulged with muscle. Chopping roots and stump pulling were good ways to build strength, but she bet they would rather be putting up walls.

  “What would you, Lady?” Tulley said.

  “I might be able to help.”

  “I don’t know… you are our Lady not a forester.”

  Julia looked around uncertainly. “Am I doing wrong?”

  “Not by me, Lady,” the leader on the rope said.

  “Nor me…”

  “… get the dang thing out of there…”

  “Nothing wrong with helping folks, the God says…”

  “She’s our Lady, not one of us…”

  “Give over! She’s ours.”

  Lots of nods to that last one and Julia blushed. She couldn’t help it. She always did flush easy. She needed to work on a tan to cover it! Everyone chuckled to see her, even Tulley.

  “You don’t mind then?”

  “Have a look, Lady. The God knows two days wasted on the cursed… pardon, Lady,” he said blushing himself now. “Two days wasted on a single stump is two days too many!”

  “Too right!”

  “The dang thing has nearly crippled me!” another voice, lost in the crowd, said.

  Julia nodded and looked into the hole with her helper pointing out the trouble. There was a huge taproot gripping the soil, but there were many others with chop marks. By the looks of it the stump would be out soon without her help. The digging had already been done, and most of the roots were already severed.

  “How many stumps have you done?”

  “Hundreds, Lady.”

  “Mind if I do this one?”

  He looked at her uncertainly, but reached for a comrade’s axe. “It’s heavy,” he warned. “I think Father Tulley is right, Lady.”