Shadow of the Unicorn

by Susan Skylark

4

  Baye found ‘Adan’ at breakfast the next morning, a knowing and highly amused light in his eyes, but he said casually, “how goes it lad?”

  The pseudo Adan smiled broadly, returned the man’s greetings, and resumed his attentions to his porridge while Baye continued on his way, nearly tripping over a servant sent to fetch him for the Lady. He smiled sheepishly at the man, who seemed rather aghast at this grievous breach of protocol, but soon recovered enough of his dignity to lead the man to his mistress. Baye made the proper courtesies and soon stood before the Lady in her formal audience chamber, said she after an interminable silence, “where is your apprentice?”

  Baye tried to smile easily, but it was obvious the expression was forced, said he with a sigh, “he is well Lady, have no fear in that regard.”

  She raised her eyebrows at this intentional avoidance of her question as she continued, “I sent Adan out to find you both yesterday when I feared you had kept Jace out beyond his endurance. You returned with Adan but Jace remains unaccounted for since the incident in that disreputable fortress alongside the river. Did something happen when he returned to his old home or in confronting his father? I would like his input before passing sentence on the two prisoners taken in the debacle, they are half convinced we are all of us possessed.”

  Baye looked remarkably uncomfortable but said at last, “I will send the lad to you immediately my Lady, but I intended to have him practice some of the skills we have been working on of late.”

  She looked at him in astonishment, “of late? He has been in your keeping barely a day! Whatever you intend for him, do not push him too hard, remember what it is he has endured.”

  Baye said wryly, “I do not mean to interfere, my Lady, but I know far more of this matter than you. Fear not, I shall not push him beyond his endurance.” He smiled proudly, “he is far stronger than most give him credit for.”

  She sighed, but said, “very well, but send him to me as soon as may be.” She shook her head in exasperation, “oh, that someone would tell me what is going on!” He bowed and made a hasty retreat, wondering how best to continue their charade with none the wiser. He knocked on the boy’s door, but no one answered; he must be in class. Racking his mind, he tried to remember where Adan was scheduled to be at that particular hour. Smiling at his own ineptness, he hied himself down to visit the man who kept the Student and Apprentice schedules. After a brief inquiry, it was a small matter to track down the supposed Adan between his first and second class. They slipped into a small sitting room, talked briefly of Baye’s predicament, and emerged as entirely different people: Jace as himself and Baye the new Adan impersonator. Jace ran off to see the Lady while ‘Adan’ continued on his way, hoping no one paid him any heed in the hours to come.

  The Lady was rather surprised to see Jace so soon, having assumed Baye had him secreted in some distant location or had perhaps lost him altogether, as he had not been seen entering either the city or the castle. After the servant announced him and he stood before her, offering the proper courtesies, she asked rather curiously, “how do you fare with all that has happened? Your trial in the dungeon, the death of your father, whatever it is your mentor has you doing?” She smiled wryly, “you have had a very busy week it seems.”

  Jace returned her smile, still rather awkward in her presence, but after having met the Master Himself, dying several times already, and the myriad other things that had jammed themselves remarkably into so short a period of time, the Lady of Astoria was no longer so frightening a legend, especially when she occasionally let slip little signs of humor, frustration, and curiosity, showing that she was truly human. Said he at last, “I am doing very well Lady, have no fear that my mentor is pushing me too hard or beyond my endurance. I am eager to experience and learn all I can under his competent tutelage.”

  She heard the truth in his voice and was rather impressed at his vigor after all he had been through, but she was certain she had not heard all nor the worst of it. “Very well,” said she, “I am in need of your input as regards the fate of your father’s former servants. I understand they raised you?”

  The boy nodded, agape that she would request his input on anything, especially when someone’s life hung in the balance. She smiled at her continued ability to disconcert him, she had not lost her touch at least, saying at last, “what can you tell me of their character, your father’s influence upon them, their attack upon my servants, and so forth?”

  Jace went on to outline how dedicated the pair was to his family down through the generations and of his father’s obsession with that accursed fortress, of his deteriorating mental state and increasing paranoia and its influence on his servants, and of his orders regarding the protection of his property and its perimeter. He finished rather ruefully, “they are both convinced this is a city of demons and their worshippers. They have known me since birth, raised me in fact, yet they felt no qualms in shooting arrows at us when we were not threating the fortress and in assaulting us with unique but deadly implements on several occasions. They were driven by fear and thought themselves faithful to my father’s orders, but what is to be done with them I do not know.”

  The Lady frowned slightly, “unique but deadly implements?”

  The boy grinned sheepishly, “a frying pan to the head can be quite effective if wielded by a skilled foe.”

  She laughed heartily at this and then smiled, “would you allow me to have the prisoners brought up that you might speak with them briefly?”

  Jace grew suddenly awkward, shifting from foot to foot, they knew Baye had somehow come back to life and that he had been in similar straits himself. His presence would only convince them further that the whole of the Brethren were guilty of the worse sorts of magic. The Lady saw his distress and said, “I understand that this must be hard for you, we may forgo the interview if you prefer?”

  Jace nodded gladly, “it would not be in their best interest or mine Lady, they are convinced I am not the boy they once knew but rather a demon in his skin.”

  The Lady nodded gravely, “I understand. Their crimes are serious, but also driven by an irrational fear, social isolation, and a mentally unstable master, thus I must carefully consider what justice requires. Thank you for your assistance.” The boy bowed deeply and hastened from the room, hoping to find ‘Adan’ before Baye made some inadvertent but terrible blunder that would permanently ruin his reputation. He smiled impishly as he ran, thinking that perhaps Adan had already done that by joining the Brethren.

  He nearly collided with his sister, as a servant led her by the hand to her interview with the Lady. Said he in unfeigned joy, “Brie!”

  She smiled sadly at him but said, “I suppose Adan told you all that happened last evening?”

  He replied, “I am well aware of the situation, are you sure about this?”

  She sighed, “very much so, I just wish I need not be a burden upon the Brethren or anyone else.”

  He said quietly, “the records are full of tales concerning numerous individuals who suffered various hindrances to ‘normality,’ you are no burden my dear, whatever betide!” He squeezed her shoulder in encouragement and she gave him a brave smile, urging the servant to lead on, lest they be late. Jace frowned after her, wondering what had just happened, he had felt a pulse of power flow out of himself and into his sister. A small smile touched the corner of his lips as understanding dawned. He laughed for very joy, causing a passing servant to give him an odd look, but he did not care and dashed off to find ‘Adan.’

  He found ‘Adan’ leaving the stable after a heady hour of forking manure, which Jace found vastly amusing but Baye did not, though the former tried desperately to hide his mirth, lest he suffer a similar fate. They vanished again into an unoccupied chamber and emerged in their former roles. Baye said in parting, “let us hope this business will soon be at an end. I hope the Lady is satisfied?”

  Jace grinned, “most certainly.” He then told o
f the incident involving his sister.

  Baye frowned thoughtfully but smiled, “I think you have the right of it lad, who will be the more surprised do you suppose? Your sister, the Lady, or your skeptical friends?” He added at the last, “you had best make an appearance as yourself sometime tonight, just to keep any suspicious parties from guessing our game.” Jace nodded and waited several minutes before following his mentor out of the room and heading for the noon meal.

  As he sat over lunch, mulling over one of Adan’s favorite books, a shriek of sheer joy rent the relative peace of the dining hall. Jace looked up expectantly and saw Briane running into the room with none to guide her and a look of utter wonder on her face and life in her eyes. Well-wishers and curiosity seekers alike soon engulfed her, eager to hear the tale while she frantically scanned the crowd for her closest friends and family. Juliene appeared at the kitchen door and smiled knowingly while Ella seemed rather relieved, if reluctant to face the exuberant insults of such a crowd to give her congratulations and ask if this meant Brie would reconsider her foolish thought of taking up with the Brethren, as she was no longer desperate. But the ecstatic smile she broadcast to ‘Adan’ was all the confirmation Jace needed that she was still intent on her purpose, perhaps now more so than before.

  He closed his book and withdrew quickly from the room, hoping to return shortly as himself, but Hawk met him in the hall with a slight crease in his brow, said he, “what are your intentions towards Briane?”

  ‘Adan’ gaped, how was he to answer such a question when he was not who his questioner thought he was? But then he realized there could be but one answer, said he, “she will always be as a sister to me but can be nothing more than a dear friend.”

  Hawk smiled openly, clapped ‘Adan’ on the shoulder, and said in parting, “that’s all I need know, thanks!” And then he vanished into the dining hall. Jace grinned wryly, Adan was going to kill him, but the man would just have to deal with it, they were not allowed to marry after all. His smile deepened, at least if his best friend did have murderous tendencies the condition would not be permanent. He reined in his amusement and hastened to his room lest someone else delay him with life altering questions.

  Jace returned to the dining hall as himself, the crowd parting to let him approach his delighted sister, she beamed, “what a little fool I have been!”

  Jace smiled delightedly, “of all people, little sister,” she gave him an annoyed glance but chose to ignore the comment, “I certainly understand. It took staring death in the face, nay dwelling momentarily in the abyss, to waken me to the reality of my precarious position. You were wise enough to see with a mere loss of sight.”

  She grinned triumphantly at him and said, “I will be taking my Oath tomorrow, will you and Adan be able to make it?” She put a special emphasis on Adan’s name, which nearly broke his heart.

  Said he, “we will, if at all possible.” Her smile was joy itself.