Andoran's Legacy

by M. Gregg Roe

  Almera was waiting in the parlor with fresh tea when Alessandra returned from speaking with Romee. Based on what she had heard from others, she had expected the woman to show up dressed in a sexy and revealing fashion. But despite her simple clothing, the woman had an air about her that made it clear that she was not just some ordinary peasant.

  After seating herself, Alessandra took the teacup, inhaled the aroma, then took a small sip, clearly savoring the flavor. “You must tell me where I can purchase this,” she said, raising her cup. “It is far better than what we can obtain locally.”

  “Of course,” said Almera. “Or you can simply ask Celebern to ship you some. He secretly owns the company that makes it.”

  “Along with you and your husband?” Alessandra gestured with her free hand. “Your investment in Novox has done quite well for you.”

  “It has.” Almera decided that was enough small talk. “What is your verdict on Romee?”

  “She is doing as well as could be expected. She was very close to her parents, and social in general. The loss has hit her hard. That is why she has latched onto the two of you to such an extent.”

  “We are happy to serve as her parents,” said Almera. “Draymund and I always wished for more children. In hindsight, we probably should have adopted while Saxloc was still young.”

  Alessandra leaned forward and refilled her cup from the teapot sitting on the table between them. “Well, now you have three more. I have every confidence that they will prosper here, just as Audrey has.”

  Almera smiled wistfully. “Audrey would never have ended up here if not for you.”

  “Because I supported her father’s assertion in Farmerton? Perhaps, but I suspect that she would still have found her way to the Witch’s City. She was determined.”

  “And stubborn,” added Almera, thinking back on Audrey’s arrival at the mansion. “I had no choice but to take her in. Otherwise she would have just run off into the city. That did cause some trouble with both Draymund and Saxloc, but I have no regrets.”

  Alessandra put down her teacup and then sat back, clasping her hands together in front of her. “Violet is my primary concern. I understand that it is some distance to where she lives.”

  “It is over an hour’s walk each way,” answered Almera. And it would be particularly unpleasant in the cold. “Do you know any flying magic?”

  “Sadly, no. I was never able to master that type of magic.”

  “I could ask my husband to take you,” offered Almera. In reality, she would be telling her husband, not asking him. “Tomorrow morning? He can come for you at Celebern’s house.”

  “That sounds wonderful.” Alessandra smiled. “That leaves the rest of today free. I believe I will visit the temples and do some shopping.”

  After showing her guest out, Almera changed clothes and worked in her greenhouse until it was time for lunch.

  The temple was impressive, but Alessandra was disappointed by the object she had asked to see. She leaned over and peered into the wooden case where the LifeStaff was nestled in thick yellow cloth. “I was expecting something … flashier,” she said, smiling at the kindly old half-elf dressed in plain white robes. “It just looks like a glass rod.” There wasn’t even much of a magic aura.

  “It glows when one of the powers is invoked,” remarked Preston as he carefully closed the lid. “The EarthStaff simply looks like a crude walking stick. I have heard that none of the Six Staffs look particularly impressive. But they are undeniably powerful.”

  Alessandra settled into the upholstered chair opposite Preston’s desk as he seated himself. “Well, I am certainly grateful that you were able to use it to bring back Bianca. We had thought her lost with the others that Morton slew.”

  “And you still have no idea of why he kept her skeleton?” asked Preston, tilting his head slightly.

  “I suspect that he was going to use them to bargain with, but we will never know now.”

  “You feel guilty that you didn’t take part in the assault that finally vanquished him.”

  It had been a statement, not a question, and she could feel his eyes boring into her. “I was afraid,” she confessed, not looking away. “His attentions always made me uncomfortable. And we still have no idea of who trained him, or where it occurred.” Even with Morton dead, she worried that someone might eventually show up trying to avenge him.

  “From what I have read,” said Preston, “there have been few temples built to Yalk. There are those everywhere that worship death, either because they fear it, or because they wish to cause it. Clerics of Yalk tend to be wanderers, never staying anywhere long.”

  Alessandra hadn’t known that, and it meant that it would be even more difficult to find answers to the mystery of Morton, not that she had the time to do it. She secretly hoped that the man had kept other skeletons, that others she had lost might one day be restored.

  Preston suddenly relaxed, folding his hands into his lap. “I would like to see your temple, Alessandra. Perhaps later this year I will travel there on a caravan. Siljan has told me a great deal, but I would still like to see it for myself.”

  “We would be honored.”

  “And how is Siljan performing as a priestess?” he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.

  “Unpredictably, but adequately. She does not loaf as much as she used to. And she is doing an excellent job of teaching Rosalind.”

  “I regret not recruiting Rosalind myself,” he admitted. “But your need is clearly greater.”

  After some additional conversation, Alessandra took her leave. She had scarcely reached the bottom of the wide stone stairs when she spotted a familiar face. Gabriel was in uniform, walking along next to a plump young woman in a black cloak. Since they were already headed her way, Alessandra simply positioned herself in their path.

  “Priestess Alessandra,” said Gabriel, inclining his head. “This is my partner, Private Peri. She is a—”

  “Spell-caster,” completed Alessandra, eyeing the wide-eyed woman. “It is a pleasure to meet you.”

  “You too,” said Peri, clearly flustered. “Gabriel … Corporal Gabriel has mentioned you.”

  Alessandra nodded. “Can you suggest somewhere around here to eat?”

  “We were just discussing lunch,” said Gabriel. “There is a place that serves steamed vegetables that is not far from here. Would you care to accompany us?”

  “That sounds lovely.”

  After discovering that Peri was studying white magic, Alessandra did her best to talk up her temple, only to discover that Siljan had already made the attempt. But sometimes these things took time.

  Sitting opposite Alessandra at the round dining table, Draymund casually glanced around. Nothing looked amiss. There were no cups or plates sitting out, no dust visible on any of the wooden furniture, really nothing to indicate that something was wrong. That is, unless you took a close look at Violet. Still plump from her first pregnancy, the young woman looked haggard. Her long blond hair had tangles in it, and there were dark circles under her bloodshot eyes. She seemed barely awake as she made tea for her guests.

  Draymund had first flown a loop over the city, pointing out things of interest. It was a cold morning, but clear and sunny with hardly a breeze. Alessandra had been at ease, surprising for someone who had never been aloft before. She had found both the tour and the trip to Dymar interesting, chatting and asking questions.

  After bringing over the teapot and three cups, Violet went to check on Quentin, now seven months old. When she returned, she sat down heavily with her shoulders slumped. Her clothes were clean but looked as if she had slept in them. Hopelessness and fatigue radiated from her eyes.

  He noticed Alessandra make a subtle gesture with her right hand before picking up her teacup, and he felt a slight surge of magic. It was undoubtedly spirit magic designed to aid her questioning of Violet. The three of them simply sat and drank the tea, which was nothing special in his opinion.

  “Do you want someth
ing to eat?” asked Violet in a tired voice. “I’m not sure what we have. Orian’s been doing most of the cooking.”

  He was beginning to understand why the twins had been so upset after Audrey took them to visit Violet. The young woman was a shadow of her former self. The Violet he knew was cheerful and exuberant, seemingly unable to talk without waving her arms wildly. He liked both her and her somewhat dull husband.

  Smiling softly, Alessandra gestured toward Violet with her cup. “I understand you are planning to have a second child.”

  Violet’s face froze, and she nearly dropped her cup. “I … We decided to wait. Maybe later this year we’ll try.”

  “I think that is wise. Have you discussed possible names?”

  This time Violet did drop her cup, and Draymund managed to catch it just before it rolled off the table. He examined it, but the cheap ceramic didn’t seem to be damaged. He set it down off to the side as Violet stared at the puddle of spilled tea. Then she scrunched her eyes shut and began to sob.

  Draymund pushed back his chair and stood. “I’m going for a walk. I’ll pick up something for lunch and return at noon.”

  Alessandra nodded her thanks, then scooted her chair closer to Violet. He heard her speaking softly to Violet in a soothing voice as he donned his cloak and departed the house.

  Draymund found his walk enjoyable. Nearly everyone he passed greeted him. The village might be situated in the Witchmarsh, but it had been laid out beautifully. All of the buildings were constructed of orange-colored marshwood with ceramic tile roofs. It made for an orderly appearance.

  He found Orian digging a trench near one of the rice paddies, and the two of them spoke for some time. Violet’s initial reaction to the destruction of Farmerton had been to deny that it had happened. The deaths of her family and in-laws had devastated her when she finally acknowledged them.

  Orian walked him to the village’s general store, and Draymund bought generous portions of roasted chicken, steamed rice, and pickled cucumbers. The change in Violet when they went to the house was startling. She greeted them smiling broadly, even giving her husband a kiss. During lunch, she actually gestured at times while speaking.

  Standing outside after they had said their goodbyes, Draymund turned to Alessandra. “You are a miracle worker.”

  “Do not be fooled,” she replied, suddenly looking tired. “Violet is still partly in denial, no matter what she claims. It is simply going to take time. I think you should invite her to visit you, along with her husband and baby, of course. It will do her good to be around the three girls and Audrey.”

  “I’ll mention it to Almera.” She had been talking about having some kind of party to introduce the three girls to people. That would be a good opportunity for Violet to socialize with a variety of people.

  After flying back to the Witch’s City, he dropped her off at Xlee’s Martial Arts Academy at her request. Grasapa was always interested in the latest news about her daughter, Ariel. Then he headed to the site of what would one day be Witch’s City Weapons.

  The next time he saw Alessandra was three days later when she came by for one last visit before heading home. She spent time with all three girls and with Audrey, and they all seemed in good spirits afterward. The woman knew her business.

  11

  ‡ Conrad ‡

  Not having a hand free, Audrey simply nodded at the elegant, wrought-iron gates in front of them. “This is where Cinda and her family used to live. They all live in different places now.” She had decided not to mention the fact that Cinda’s parents were now divorced.

  “Who lives here now?” asked Ilona, peering forward. “It’s got to be someone rich,” added Iris, scratching next to her nose with her free hand.

  All Audrey knew was that it was someone from out of town. But before she could speak, a familiar voice from off to her right said, “It’s a family moving here from Zardis—a couple with one son. They’re all elves.”

  Conrad was simply standing to the right of Iris now, his weathered face giving away nothing. Audrey, meanwhile, could feel herself blushing. And both girls were now eyeing her suspiciously.

  “Is Audrey your girlfriend?” “We’re her cousins.” “I’m Ilona.” “I’m Iris.”

  “It’s nice to meet you,” said Conrad, looking back and forth between them in amusement.

  “This is Conrad,” said Audrey, desperately trying to remember if she had ever told him about her cousins. “He’s a carpenter, and we are dating.” Conrad raised his eyebrows briefly at her lie, but he didn’t say anything.

  “Good morning!” came an even more familiar voice from off to Audrey’s left. “I am so relieved to see the two of you safely here.”

  Audrey let go of the girl’s hands, and they promptly ran up to meet Cinda, who was carrying a paper sack and smiling primly. She carefully placed the sack on the ground and then hugged the two girls tightly.

  Conrad had a puzzled look as Audrey grabbed his left arm and dragged him a good distance away from the other three. In a low voice, she quickly summarized how her cousins had come to be living in the Witch’s City.

  “I haven’t seen you in a while,” he said quietly. “I didn’t realize you were from the village that had been destroyed. I’m sorry.”

  “There was no reason for you to know. I … Would you like to go out tonight?”

  “A date?” he asked, sounding hesitant.

  Audrey nodded. “How about we meet at The Watch at dusk? I’ll tell you all about it.”

  “All right. I need to get to work. I didn’t know one of your friends had lived here.”

  Predictably, he now looked guilty. “I’ll explain about that too. I’ll see you this evening.” After nodding, he headed for the gates.

  The first thing Audrey heard as she approached the three was Cinda saying, “I can show you the exterior and gardens, but children are not permitted in any part of the building.”

  “Can’t we just peek in?” begged Iris. “We’re curious,” added Ilona.

  “That’s enough, you two,” said Audrey, putting a hand on each of their shoulders. “Stop pestering Cinda.” The aroma of fresh bread made it clear what was in Cinda’s sack.

  “We’re not pestering.” “Maybe we’ll be courtesans someday.”

  Not if Audrey had any say in the matter. “I’ve been planning to stop by,” she said, addressing her friend. “But these two are keeping me busy.”

  “That is quite all right.” Cinda retrieved her sack and brushed the snow off the bottom of it. “I have also been occupied as of late. Shall we proceed?”

  Audrey took hold of the girl’s hands, and they walked alongside to Cinda’s right. They soon arrived at Desires, which simply looked like any other large house in the area. She limited the tour to the front gardens, knowing that clients always used the rear entrance. Cinda gently deflected the girl’s attempts to find out about what went on inside.

  “And now,” said Cinda, standing just outside the front door, “you must excuse me. I have a lute lesson to prepare for.” She nodded formally, then went through the front door with both girls desperately trying to get a look inside. But it was simply an entryway with places to hang outerwear such as cloaks.

  “I’ll bet men would pay extra to do it with twins,” said Ilona as they began to walk back toward the street.

  “Enough,” said Audrey, before Iris could add something even worse. “You’re not supposed to even like boys at your age.”

  “We don’t,” said Iris. “But we know that’ll change.”

  Hopefully not for several years. “Let’s head back. It’s cold, and I have things to do.”

  “Like prepare for your date with Conrad?” asked Ilona, smiling impishly.

  “Yes. And you two have lessons.”

  That quieted them. Once back at the mansion, Audrey turned the two of them over to Tabitha. After that, it was sewing, laundry, and cleaning. And then preparing for a date she really didn’t want to go on. But there was no cho
ice now.

  The urge to roll her eyes was becoming irresistible. And maintaining an expression of feigned interest was hurting her face. All Audrey had done was to comment upon the weather, and now Conrad was in the midst of a mind-numbing explanation of how moisture affected various types of wood. She couldn’t fault the young man’s enthusiasm, but it just wasn’t something that really interested her.

  Conrad abruptly stopped talking, his forehead creasing slightly. “I’m doing it again,” he said, staring down at his still full goblet of rice wine. “Sorry.” He picked up the goblet and took a small sip.

  “It’s all right,” she said, hoping he didn’t notice her fake smile. She glanced around the interior of the restaurant. “Our food is taking forever.” The service was generally fast at The Watch.

  He raised his head and looked around. “It’s crowded. Maybe they’re short-staffed.”

  Audrey hoped that was the case because she hated to think that her favorite restaurant was going downhill. The Watch had good food, a pleasant atmosphere, and reasonable prices. And it had pudding—her absolute favorite dessert.

  She had just opened her mouth to reply when she caught a whiff of something burning. Conrad had obviously noticed something too because he was staring at the pair of doors that led into the restaurant’s kitchen. A thin, older woman with her hair in a tight bun suddenly pushed through the left-hand door, along with a small billow of smoke.

  “Excuse me!” she called out in a penetrating voice that silenced the surrounding conversations. “A fire has broken out in the kitchen. We need for everyone to leave the building. There is no need to pay for your food. And don’t forget your outerwear.”

  It took a while for everyone to exit, but Audrey was impressed by how calm and orderly the process was. The wait staff was part of that, directing people and handing them their cloaks. And of course, it wasn’t like they were in imminent danger. Outside, she stood next to Conrad and stared at the building along with about a dozen other people. There was smoke billowing not only out of the large chimney, but from other places on the roof. People with empty buckets were running toward the nearest well while others with full ones were walking back as fast as they could. She doubted that the building would burn down, but it would probably be closed for a while.