by D C Ware
“Oh excuse me Damian. I meant to say the king. Few know him by that name.”
“Oh, I see. So you suspect he lives?”
“I do. But I also suspect that he has left the kingdom. For what reason and by what power that I do not know.”
“And the oracle? Does it speak of these things?”
“The oracle does not ‘speak’ Damian. It only shows us the things we need to see.”
“Excuse me, my lady. I did not mean to blaspheme”
“And no, the oracle has not shown me the whereabouts of the king. Nor has it shown me whether he lives. “
“You sound disturbed, my lady.”
“The oracle has not shown me these things Damian. But my dreams are another matter.
“And what have they shown you My Lady?”
“War. They have shown me war Damian. War and death and great powers contending. Such things as not even The Church will be able to ignore. And this is why I have come.”
Father Wilmont was glad to have his two best disciples with him on this journey. Neither had completed all of their martial arts training but both were far more deadly than most of the ne’er-do-wellers they would encounter on this trip.
He was also glad to have his warrior monks with him, led by Prior Ramon. The warrior monks were selected from the monasteries most dedicated converts and were the most zealous adherents of the worship of The One. These were dangerous times, thought Father Wilmont and it called for men of devotion. Some may have considered them zealots but Father Wilmont simply considered them to be trustworthy.
Even before the rumors reached the monastery of the king’s death, something Father Wilmont still doubted, the Father had been having ominous dreams of Fire Castle and its ruler the wizard who called himself “Morcai”. Morcai being an Old Overland word meaning “he who destroys by fire” thus the name of his citadel “Fire Castle”.
Father Wilmont wondered how many people in the kingdom even knew that.
But it was not his dreams of Fire Castle and Morcai that roused him from his monastery. It was the dreams of the lady. The Lady Gabriel and the coming of the men of the dark that had compelled him to act. If The Lady was leaving her domain then the “Oracles” had been consulted and revealed to her that her time had come. And if the Lady’s time had come then so had Father Wilmont’s.
Swift had no idea where to look for The Ferret and even if he did he could not track The Ferret down and complete the quest the king had personally given him before he departed.
But he also could not leave The Ferret to his work. For all he knew, Morcai knew of the king’s trip and had sent The Ferret to intercept and kill him while he was away from the realm and vulnerable.
Even on a ship out on the ocean one was not safe from the skills of The Ferret. But Swift had to complete the quest the king had charged him with. Which meant he needed to find someone else who was capable of tracking down and stopping The Ferret. And there was only one man in this part of the kingdom that he knew had a chance against The Ferret….Granger ‘Greyhound’ Ranger of the South.
Granger was one of an elite group of men in the Kingdom known as Rangers. Rangers were expert woodsmen, trackers, hunters, scouts who also excelled in guerrilla warfare. Most were self taught though all at some time had received some kind of military or survival training.
In a forest or similar setting they could live off the land indefinitely and they were experts in navigating terrain of any type. Granger was said to have been trained as a Ranger by an Elven friend of his father, a minor noble at Kings Castle. But he had also received training from some of the King’s Bane Knights.
Swift was the same age as Granger so he had not personally trained or trained with the Ranger but it was said that The First Knight Bonelord had squired him even though it was generally accepted that Granger would not actually become a knight.
Swift had only worked with Granger once during an affair with a minor wizard/magician that called himself ‘The Hive Lord’. He had the ability to summon and control large swarms of insects and was moving from town to town exacting payments from their mayors to recall his insects after he had set them upon the populace.
King Overlord had given Swift the quest of stopping the Hive Lord and after consulting with the monastery Swift was told to seek out the Ranger ‘Granger Greyhound’. Ultimately Granger came up with a mix of eucalyptus, cedar wood, lavender and rosemary that he had the towns people burn in their chimneys to repel the insects away long enough for Swift to overcome the magician in the center of the town.
But Granger was no mere herbalist. He was said to have helped Sir DavenPo track Goliath The Great - the giant from the Kingdom of Bozz - through the Infested Mountains and into the Swallowing Swamps where he was finally overcome by Sir DavenPo and Horatio The Second Knight.
So if anyone could help Swift locate, and deal with, The Ferret it was Granger; and even if it meant a detour from his sworn quest Swift knew he had to obtain his aid at all costs.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Powers Shaken
“His son?” The words stuck in Maverick’s mouth. “The King’s son?”
“If what I believe to be true, then yes. You must be his son.” Granger looked hard into Maverick’s eye, searching for any sign of knowledge. But he saw none. The news was truly a surprise to Maverick.
“If what you believe to be true! If what YOU believe to be true?” Maverick stood up and pointed a finger in Granger’s face,
“By The One and His Son, Granger, that is a deadly rumor you are threatening to unleash. One that will very likely get me killed by the king himself, if he is not dead. Never mind those you claim to be seeking my life.”
“Maverick, sit back down. . . please.”
Granger stayed seated and looked up at Maverick with his hand motioning to Maverick’s position by the fire,
“. . .sit back down and I will explain the rest of it.”
Maverick sat down and just looked at Granger without saying a word.
“Long has it been rumored that the king has a son not born of the Queen.”
“You mean a bastard?” said Maverick.
“No. I mean yes. But I would not consider him such. And neither would many in this realm.”
“Many like whom?”
“Many who would follow him if the king is dead Maverick. As you know Maverick the king has no heir by blood. Any child he bears with the Queen cannot rule because the Queen is not from this kingdom. So that child has no claim. But those who have been closest to the king and some who are privy to his secrets, both friend and foe, have known for some years that the king sired at least one son from a maid other than the queen. “
“What do you mean at least one son?”
“I mean there could be another, or there could simply be someone other than you who is his heir.”
“Do you know who that someone is?”
“Yes and I cannot reveal that to you, just like I cannot reveal you to him. It is he who I seek next.”
“And you suspect me because of the kindness the king showed me growing up?”
“Yes.”
“Any other reason. I mean anything you know about me or my mother that I do not know?”
“No. Just as you say the king showed you great kindness as a child and took a special interest in your training and education.”
“What about this other would be son, did the king take a special interest in him and his training and education as well.”
“No. “
“So you suspect him why?”
“I cannot tell you that. But I can say it is not unlike Lionheart to mask his motives by doing two opposite things at once.”
“You mean by showing me favor but ignoring the other, the king leaves doubt as to which is his real son. A doubt that can only be resolved by knowing the mind of the king and what he would think was the best way to hide his heir. Either train and equip him to rule or ignore him and draw all danger away from him to some other can
didate that he has trained and equipped.”
“Exactly Maverick. You have deduced the sum of it. Either you are his son, or you are a carefully groomed ruse for his son. Do you understand now why either way you are in grave danger?”
Brufson was about to pay Midas for the five vials of healing potion.
“No need my lord. I believe I am in your debt.”
“Do you mean the audience with Maverick?”
“Yes. It was decent of you to meet with him. Especially under such circumstances as we find ourselves in these days.”
“Ah, take the money Midas. I would have sent for Maverick soon anyway and you know that.”
“Even so my lord, it ingratiated him to me and for that I am in your debt.”
“As you choose. But I fear I did not have much to tell the lad except as much as you could of told him yourself.”
“How so, good Mayor?”
“I know that Swift spoke with you before coming to me with the news Midas.”
“So now you are spying on your healer?”
“I am the mayor by God, of course I am spying on my healer. Lest I receive a vial from my healer one day passed from the hand of a foe. Besides I know why Swift met with you. He seeks to know the mind of your old mentor, Father Wilmont.”
“Even so. Though like you I fear I did not have much to tell him.”
“Well has the Father sent word to you? What will the monastery do? What does the monastery believe?”
“I do not know. But I know the Father and he will seek to verify the news himself prior to committing himself to anything.”
“Look Midas I will level with you. I have not pledged my support to Kings Castle or Fire Castle at this point. I simply need more information. Naturally with the king being a descendant of this province most will assume we will stand by Kings Castle. But that just makes us the first place to be besieged if the news is true. Which means if I don’t choose to support the castle and whoever it puts forth as the new king, then I must make that intention known early and first. And if I do intend to support it then I must start to prepare this town’s defenses now.”
“I see your dilemma mayor. And what would you have me do.”
“The same thing I asked of Maverick. Get me more information. I would know what the church knows and who it intends to put forth if the news is true.”
“You want me to go to the monastery then?”
“Yes. I fear Maverick’s journey will take him far from here before he returns with any news that could be of help to me. If he returns.”
“I understand. I will leave for the monastery in the morning. Can you have someone accompany me?”
“I have one man that I will send to you. I would prefer to send a squad of constables with you but I fear if you are seen with constables from Milestill then people will make assumptions about my intentions. And I must conceal my hand for as long as possible Midas.”
“I understand Mayor. One man will be enough.”
“One last thing Midas”
“Yes my lord.”
“Take this money. You will need it.”
“Yes. You are probably correct about that now.”
“How long are you going to be mad at me,” Oxley asked Lyla as they walked ahead of Maverick and Granger.
“It’s not my fault you know. Maverick is the one who showed up uninvited.”
“That’s not the point Oxley, you were supposed to be standing guard and you fell asleep. What if it had not been Maverick? We could have both been killed. That is what!”
“Well are you still going to pay me? The two gold pieces?”
“Yes Oxley you will get your two gold pieces. I just need to get to Zafton and back home to Tristan.”
Maverick and Granger walked behind Lyla and the boy Oxley. It was a sunny day and they had agreed to accompany the two to Zafton. During the trip Maverick and Granger would discuss the best way to proceed.
“So Brufson wants me to go to Kings Castle and see what news there is of the king – dead or otherwise. That is where I was heading when I learned Lyla had left for Zafton with Oxley. The rest you know.”
“I still think you should go to Kings Castle Maverick but not straight away. If anyone in the realm knows of your birth and of the king’s heirs it is Father Wilmont at Morsh Monastery.”
“That much I agree with Granger. I trained at the monastery when I was sixteen for three months after I left you. Many lords and mayors brought their sons to the monastery to learn its secret arts, but very few of them it was indeed that completed those tests. Alas, not even I, despite all you had taught me, was able to make it to the end.
But there was one young man there, somehow also known to the king, that excelled beyond us all. Alas I do not know if he completed his training. As he was still there when I left for Dwarfhaven.”
“Well if it is the same lad I know of. He passed. But that is of no consequence to us at the moment. He could be the king’s ruse as much as you. Father Wilmont will know more of the truth of it than either of us.”
“Maybe so Granger, but if I had known I would be visiting the monastery I would have brought Midas with me. He is a healer in the employ of Mayor Brufson and was a pupil of Father Wilmont.”
“Aye, having one such as him would of served you well. Because as you said Father Wilmont has seen many young lads come and go from the monastery and is just as likely to have as little recollection of you as you have of him. Still you must try. From there you can go to the castle.”
“And what of Brufson? Surely I cannot report to him the things you are telling me about myself and this other lad. And for all of his overbearingness Brufson would be a formidable ally to have on our side however this plays out.”
“So what is your concern? Do you fear if you do not send word to him he will suspect his confidence has been betrayed and array against whatever side you fall on.”
“Even so.”
“I see. Perhaps my man Maddox can be of service in this regard then.”
“The brute? How much does he know of your suspicions about me?”
“Nothing. But I trust him. At least for myself. And he will report to Brufson whatever I tell him to report, including that he is bringing word from you.”
“But of what worth could his report be to the mayor? Understand this Granger, Mayor Brufson only plays the oaf, and a dangerous one at that, if someone actually mistakes him for such.”
Granger looked at Maverick but remained silent. He then pulled a rolled leaf from a pocket along his waste and stuck it in his mouth and lit it. Taking a deep pull and releasing a spiral swirl of smoke as he spoke.
“By the way Maverick. The Lady Gabriel is heading towards Kings Castle.”
CHAPTER NINE
Pieces Start To Move
Friar Damian brought Heymann to the Lady’s tent. The Lady and her contingent had stopped just outside of the Wooddam Forest and were contemplating whether to pass through the forest or skirt around it east passing near The Lost Men’s Camp.
“My Lady, I present to you Lord Heymann, Captain of Morcai’s elite Nemesis Knights.”
“My Lady, my Lord Morcai sends you his greetings and bids you accept his hospitality at Redrock Castle.”
“You mean at Fire Castle, Captain Heymann?”
“My Lord does not call it by that name my lady?”
“Forgive me Captain. I have not traversed these lands in many years. I do not mean to offend. So it is Redrock Castle now?”
“Even so my lady, my lord has proclaimed as much.”
“So Matthew is in the business of issuing proclamations now?”
“Matthew, my lady?”
“No mind Captain. Another name from the time I last traversed these lands.”
“And why does ‘Morcai’ (Gabriel smiled as she thought about the meaning of that name aware that its meaning ‘the one who brings fire’ was lost on the captain) desire that I grace his red castle with my presence captain?”
; “Redrock Castle my lady. And my lord wishes to ascertain the meaning of your arrival and whether he might be of assistance to the keeper of The Oracle of the One.”
“You mean your master would know if the Oracle has spoken of him or his fate?”
“I would not know of such things my lady?”
“You are right. You would not. But seeing as I would consider it a favor to your master to permit myself to be attended to by him at his castle, then I will ask a favor of him in return.”
“Anything my lady and I am sure my master will make it so.”
“I have been followed by a knight of the realm and his retinue for almost three days now. Before I decide whether to pass through the forest or skirt far around it to the east, I would be rid of him. Is that a favor you and your knights would bestow upon me?”
“I am aware that he follows you my lady. But he has a force of five knights and fifty men at arms. I have but three knights and another fifteen men at arms still with me. Besides my lady, my scout reported that your present location is unknown to the Second Knight and will be for another half day until he clears the shadows of the Infested Mountains. If you make for the forest in the morning I am sure you will lose him.”
“And what if I choose to skirt the forest Captain?”
“Then he will surely pick up your trail again before you clear them.”
“Unless he is delayed, correct?”
“Well of course my lady. But the only way to delay him now would be to engage him and as I said we are too few.”
“And as I have said if you wish me to meet with your master I require a favor. Will you delay him Captain?”
Heymann paused. Then at last he spoke. “As you wish my lady.”
Heymann bowed courteously and turned to exit the Lady’s tent.
“Captain!” The Lady called after him.
Heymann stopped but did not turn around. “My lady?”
“I only need the knight delayed. Whether it is by you or your men without you is of no concern to me. Do you understand Captain.”