Miko opened the door and found James fast asleep. Quietly, he began closing the door slowly until a mischievous grin spread across his face. Realizing such an opportunity may never repeat itself; he opened the door wider and slammed it shut with all his might.
Wham!
He watched in amusement as James jumped two inches off the bed and fell over the side, landing on the floor with a thud. Smiling to himself, he sat at the table while a startled James flashed quick glances around the room.
When his gaze settled upon Miko and the way the boy grinned, his eyes narrowed. “Did you have to do that?”
“No,” replied Miko before his grin turned into a full blown smile. “I guess I didn’t, but I couldn’t help myself.”
“Don’t ever do that again,” James said sternly, and then mellowed. He couldn’t help but smile.
“I’ve got good news,” said Miko, “and bad news.”
“What’s the good news?”
“There is an archive located near the castle, past the inner wall. Supposedly it has hundreds of books scholars come from near and far to research.”
Now off the floor, James came to the table and took a seat. “And the bad news?”
“There may be a small problem with gaining access to it.”
“What sort of problem.”
“Well first of all,” Miko began, “only those with business in the castle area are allowed within the castle area. If you try, they will at best turn you away, at worst take you in for questioning.”
“I see,” said James. “What else?”
“Since the Empire has attacked Madoc, their security has been doubled. Anyone caught there without a reason will be treated as a spy and taken to the castle’s dungeon for questioning.”
“Alright,” James said, “it sounds like the place I need to go. Any ideas on how to get in there?”
“No,” replied Miko shaking his head. “Maybe Perrilin will have an idea.”
“That’s another problem,” James explained. “He was taken by the city watch last night and most likely is in jail.”
“Great,” said Miko, “now what are we to do?”
“After lunch, I plan to go to the city jail and find out what is going on. Until then, I suggest we adjourn to the common room and see what there is to eat.”
Never one to turn down food, Miko quickly agreed and went downstairs with James who carried the ever-present backpack. Coming into the common room, they found an empty table next to a window overlooking the street. It wasn’t long before a girl came to take their order. In less than a minute, she returned with two big steaming bowls filled with chicken stew, a loaf of bread, and two foaming mugs of ale.
Miko ate with his regular gusto, while James took his time, savoring each bite. Between, and during, mouthfuls of stew Miko offered to ferret out what those on the streets might know about Lord Colerain’s presence in the city. James would find out about Perrilin.
“Try to draw as little attention to yourself as possible,” James cautioned. “We don’t need any more surprises.”
“Not to worry,” Miko assured him as he put a last bite of stew-soaked bread into his mouth, “I’ll be careful.” He hurried across the common room and disappeared out the door.
James finished his lunch while he gazed out the window, watching Miko walk down the street until he was lost amidst the crowd. He downed the remaining dregs of ale and came to his feet. Shouldering his backpack he made for the door. He headed further into the city to find the jail and discover what happened to Perrilin. It was not long before he spotted a city constable and questioned him as to the whereabouts of the city jail. The constable gave him directions and he was quickly on his way.
The city jail was within the second wall near the gate that led to the castle, not far from where he was now. The jail was an imposing three story building with only the barest slits that passed for windows on the ground floor. A very solid door stood ajar at the top of three steps, so he went up and walked inside.
As he entered, he saw a man wearing a constable’s uniform sitting behind a desk reading one of many papers stacked neatly before him. The sound of James entering drew his attention. Setting the paper down he asked, “Can I help you?”
“Yes,” replied James as he came to a stop before the desk. “A friend of mine was brought in by the city watch last night and I was wondering if it would be possible to talk with him?”
The constable looked him up and down then asked, “And just who might your friend be?”
“His name is Perrilin, a bard.”
“There’s been no one brought in with that name.”
“But I had heard that several constables came to the Silver Bells last night and dragged him away right in the middle of his performance.”
“Yeah, I heard about that,” the constable replied. “Nevertheless, he’s not here, sorry.”
“Where can I find him?”
“Don’t know,” the constable replied. He held up a hand to forestall any more questions. “I am not privy to all that goes on. I just know he’s not here and I don’t know where he would be.”
James looked at the constable in quiet frustration. He knew there would be no more forthcoming help. After a moment, he turned about and left the jail.
He walked across the street to an alley and took a moment to make sure he would not be observed. He reached into his backpack and removed the compass he had made earlier in Trendle. Using a variation of the spell he used while looking for Hern, he watched as the pointer indicated a direction down the street. He had thought for sure it would point toward the jail.
He turned in the direction indicated by the compass and proceeded down the street. Eventually he reached a dead-end against the inner face of Cardri’s middle protective wall.
The pointer continued to indicate Perrilin’s position to be somewhere on the other side. James quickly made his way to the gate and passed through Cardri’s middle wall entering its outer ring. From there he once again allowed the compass to lead the way.
He walked down several streets and passed around various buildings. His search stopped again as he came up against the inner surface of the outer wall. There was no denying the truth of what the compass was telling: Perrilin was somewhere outside of Cardri. Making his way to Cardri’s main gates, James left the city.
The compass led him through the buildings built outside the city’s protective wall, to the outskirts of Cardri. When he reached the last building before entering the countryside, the compass still directed him on.
James contemplated returning to the inn for his horse, but discarded that idea. Moving out, he entered the countryside with the plan to continue on until an hour before nightfall. If he didn’t come across the bard by then, he would return to the inn and set out on horseback the following day.
Out of the crowded city, he progressed much faster. Hours of trudging through fields found him cresting one of the many rolling hills that dotted the area. He paused when a farmhouse came into view. The compass directed him toward the abandoned looking building.
The farmhouse had seen better days. One side of the roof sagged precariously and the front door sat slightly askew. Only the lower hinge still attached it to the door frame. The ground surrounding the house was choked with weeds and appeared not to have been tended by anyone for quite a while. Behind the house sat a barn in slightly better shape, though still appeared to have fallen to disuse.
Despite the look of abandonment, a small plume of smoke made its way from the farmhouse’s chimney. The faint sound of horses could also be heard from the barn. James quickly returned back down the hill until he no longer cast a silhouette against the afternoon sky. He kept low as he carefully made his way around the farm, doing his best not to be observed. As he circled the farmhouse, he watched the compass. As he moved, so did the compass, continuously pointing toward the structure.
Satisfied that he knew where Perrilin was, he found a safe place amidst tall grass where he cou
ld keep an eye on the house. The sun was low in the sky. He hadn’t realized that his trek had taken so much time, but it seemed that sunset was not far off. He settled into his hiding place and waited for dark. When darkness came he would see what he could do. Guards on legitimate business of the city would have taken him to the jail. The fact that he was taken here could only bode ill.
He kept an eye on the farmhouse for the next hour until the sun set and the light faded. Just as the sun dipped below the horizon, a man emerged through the front door and made his way toward the barn. This was no farmer! The man had the look of a street tough and carried a sword at his hip. James watched through the tall grass as the man entered the barn. Before he could make up his mind whether or not to investigate, the barn door swung open and the man headed back to the farmhouse.
What is going on? he wondered. And should he even get involved? If it wasn’t for his need to enter the Royal Archives, he would have turned around and gotten out of there. But he needed information, and it appeared Perrilin might be his only avenue through which he could get it. Plus, he liked the bard. During the evening they spent together on the road he found him to be friendly and good-natured. He couldn’t leave without finding out what was going on. Things did not feel right. He settled down in the grass once more, and waited for the night. In darkness he could find out what was going on. He made himself comfortable, and waited.
Now dark, the barn was quiet as he approached. He peered through an open window and discovered six horses. Leaving the barn, he carefully made his way to the side of the farmhouse, doing his best not to stumble over anything in the dark. He carefully looked through one of the windows where light emerged.
On the other side he saw an empty room with a single doorway on the opposite wall. The light coming through the window originated from the room on the other side of the doorway. It looked to be the main room of the house. Four men took their ease on a couch and a couple of chairs. A fifth man stood in the middle of the room with his back to James.
The man stood there for several seconds before he stepped to the side. James gasped in shock to discover the man had been standing in front of a chair. And bound to the chair was the object of his search. Perrilin.
The bard looked the worse for wear. His left eye was swollen shut and his torn shirt was red with blood. James watched while the four men joked and laughed but he could not make out what was said. The fifth man returned to stand before Perrilin and said something. Perrilin didn’t respond, he simply sat there and stared with a defiant look. The man said something else. Then he struck the bard across the face, snapping his head to the side.
Perrilin brought his head back up and continued to stare defiantly at his tormentor while blood dripped from the corner of his mouth. The man who struck Perrilin walked over to the fireplace and pulled out a red hot poker. He then stood in front of Perrilin where he held the poker a few inches from the bard’s face. He gave Perrilin a moment to contemplate the red-hot poker, then the man spoke once more.
James hurried to the front door and picked up several stones along the way. Steeling himself, he paused a moment as he reached the door. Taking a few deep, calming breaths, he laid his hand upon the door. Words issued forth as he cast a spell, and at the utterance of the final word, the door exploded inward. Wooden shards flew everywhere.
The men turned to see James standing in the doorway. He cast another spell and two stones flew with magic-induced speed, striking captors in the chest before they had time to react. The stones exploded through their backs in a grisly display, embedding into the wall.
The one who had threatened Perrilin reacted first and threw the hot poker at James. He then drew his sword and advanced upon him. The remaining two fled and were soon out of sight.
James dodged to the side in order to avoid the thrown poker. He took his last stone and cast his spell, throwing it at the approaching man. By a stroke of ill-fated luck, the man moved his sword at just the right time; the stone struck the blade and snapped it in two. He threw his broken sword to the ground, drew his dagger and charged.
James did not want to withstand the charge of this bull of a man as he came straight at him. Instead turned and ran outside, into the darkness. Once beyond the reach of the light and into the shadows, he turned abruptly and quickly made his way back toward the side of the house.
He reached the side of the house just as the man raced through the doorway. The man tried to determine where James had gone, but his eyes had yet to adjust to the dark. James’ breath froze in his lungs as the man’s eyes roved over the very spot where he hid. Then turning abruptly, he headed for the other side of the house.
Not able to believe his luck at not being seen, James backed away from the door, all the while keeping against the side of the house. He planned his next move. To cast a spell would require him to give away his position as he spoke the words. But he might not have much choice if he wanted to survive this encounter.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps came toward him from out of the dark. He held still against the side of the house and remained absolutely quiet, hardly daring to breathe.
Not more than a foot away, he discerned a shadow in the form of a man’s silhouette. The shadow slowly made his way past where James hid in the dark. The light from the stars reflected off the bare blade of a sword. The man came to a stop, his head cocked first to one side and then the other as he listened to the night.
Without warning the sword struck. James dodged the blow and jumped to the side as the blade came within inches of where his head had been only a split second before. Losing his balance, he hit the ground and rolled quickly away. The man turned toward the sound as he rolled, advancing quickly, sword poised to strike.
James rolled several more times, and then came to a stop on his back. Looking up, he saw the man almost upon him. The moonlight glinted off the bare metal raised to end his life. In a moment of panic he thrust his hand toward the man, and a mental picture flashed of the man flying through the air away from him. He shouted, “Away!” Feeling a surge of power, the man was picked up and flung away. He struck the side of the house and smashed through to the other side. The force of the impact shattered bones and pulped flesh. The man was not a pretty sight.
The jagged hole in the side of the house spilled light onto where James lay on the ground. Getting to his feet, a crossbow bolt embedded itself in the ground where his chest had just been. He looked around and saw the man who had been interrogating Perrilin framed in a window, winding a crossbow to fire again. Placing another bolt in place, he once more aimed it at James.
He pictured the crossbow in his mind and envisioned its crosswire snapping. Without even vocalizing the words of a spell, he let thought guide the magic. He let loose a surge of power. Twang! The crosswire broke. Snapping back, it caught the man across the right side of his face. He cried out in pain, and the crossbow fell as he disappeared back into the house.
A quick scan revealed no other men in sight. Moving stealthily, James made his way over to the hole in the wall and peered in around the edge. Only the dead man was visible. Ever so carefully he climbed through the hole and made his way into the room. There he came to the dead man’s side and took his knife. Now with the added confidence of having a blade in hand, he cautiously approached the doorway which led to the main room wherein Perrilin was being held.
Perrilin was still bound in the chair. Head lolled forward, the bard looked dead but for the gentle rise and fall of his chest. James waited for a second and made sure the last two men were not around.
A noise caused him to turn. One of the captors climbed in through the hole in the wall, sword at the ready and coming at him.
James visualized the knife flying and striking the man. He let loose with the power and threw. Guided by magic, the knife sailed through the air and struck the man in the center of the chest, puncturing the heart. His sword fell from his lifeless hand as his body lurched backward through the hole, and came to land on the g
round outside.
On the brink of exhaustion due to all the magic he’d thrown around, James leaned against the wall for a second to catch his breath. He kept an eye out for the remaining captor. Suddenly, he heard the sound of a galloping horse. Rushing to the hole in the wall, he looked outside just in time to see the remaining captor. As he rode past, their eyes locked and James saw a red welt oozing blood running from his hairline to his jaw, crossing over the right eye. Their gazes held for a moment longer before the man was swallowed by the night.
James returned to the main room and came to Perrilin. “Are you alright?” he asked as he started to untie Perrilin’s bonds.
Perrilin raised his head to see who spoke. He was quite surprised who it was. “No,” he replied, “but I’ll live.”
“Who were these guys?”
He removed the rest of the bonds and helped Perrilin to his feet. A little unsteady, he required James’ help to remain upright.
Perrilin didn’t answer right away. Instead he looked at the men lying dead on the floor. “Did you get them all?”
“No, one got away on horseback,” James replied. “It was the man who had been questioning you.”
“Then we need to leave before he returns with others,” Perrilin managed to say just as his knees buckled and once again sank into unconsciousness.
James struggled to carry him out to the barn. There he laid him down in the straw while he saddled two of the horses. Once saddled, he attempted to rouse Perrilin, but was unsuccessful. He lifted him from the straw and placed him across the saddle on his stomach. He then proceeded to secure him with rope to prevent him from falling off on their return to Cardri. Once satisfied that Perrilin was secured, he mounted another horse and took the reins of Perrilin’s. Leading him from the barn, he headed in the general direction of Cardri.
It didn’t take nearly as long to return to town as it had when he left in search of Perrilin. As the lights of the city appeared in the distance, a groan came from the bard. Perrilin began to stir. He brought the two horses to a stop, dismounted and went over to the bard. He was conscious with his eyes open. “Can you ride?”
Perrilin nodded.
Taking a moment, he untied Perrilin and helped him upright into the saddle. Once he was sure Perrilin was alert enough to ride without falling, he remounted and they continued on into Cardri.
During their approach to the outskirts of the city, James realized his dilemma. How would he get Perrilin into Cardri without anyone knowing? If the guards at the gate recognized Perrilin, or just reported that someone in his condition passed through, then the hunt might be on.
He slowed his horse as he pondered the situation. They reached the outlying buildings, and after traversing several blocks, the gate came into view. It was well lit and two guards stood vigil.
Agonized over how to get in, he suddenly heard the sound of drunken singing coming from the intersection of streets ahead of them. James reined up some distance away and waited to see what was going on. Around the corner appeared four rather drunken men, singing and sharing bottles as they staggered up the street. Their destination seemed to be the gate into the city which gives him an idea.
“Oh my god, Reggie,” one of the guards said to his partner. “Would you look at what’s coming down the street?”
“Looks like they had a good one tonight.”
“Yeah, one of them can’t even walk,” the first guard laughed.
The two guards looked on in amusement as the six men, one who needed to be supported by two of his companions, staggered through the gate into the city. They watched as the group meandered down the street and were soon out of sight but not out of hearing. Their off-key caterwauling echoed through the night.
Once past the guards, James quickly disengaged himself and Perrilin from the drunks. They made their way through the streets to the second gate, ducking into alleys whenever a patrol of the city watch came by.
They finally reached the second gate and found two guards on duty. Both looked rather bored but otherwise alert. James watched from the shadows of an alley for a while, but no opportunity to get through presented itself. Perrilin rested against the wall of the alley, passing from conscious to unconscious and back again as James considered his options.
With no other options, he reluctantly scanned the area to make sure no one approached before he began. He concentrated on a visualization of the guards becoming tired, then drifting off to sleep. The power welled up and flowed toward the men. The flow of power was subtle; it took a small amount of time to work its affect. Soon, the men began to yawn and their eyes started to blink. First one then the other slumped and drifted off to sleep.
James helped Perrilin, bearing much of the bard’s weight as they made their way through the gate. They passed within a foot of the sleeping guards. Once past the gate so as to not be noticed, James stopped the spell. The guards failed to reawaken. He did not want them to get into trouble on his account.
He left Perrilin sitting against the side of a candle maker’s shop while he returned to the gate. He picked up a small rock and tossed it toward the sleeping guards. It banged into the wall then ricocheted off the head of one. Startled, the guard woke up, realized that he had been asleep and got up fast. He noticed his partner nearby and kicked him in the leg to wake him. His task done, he returned to Perrilin and with the bard still leaning heavily upon him, they headed for The Silver Bells.
When they reached the inn, the common room was still packed with the evening crowd. Above the voices and the occasional laughter wafted the sound of a bard or minstrel. He went around to the back and found an area steep in shadow where he left Perrilin.
“I won’t be but a moment,” he told the bard. The only reply Perrilin gave was a nod.
Moving as unobtrusively as possible, he walked in through the back door and quickly made his way to the stairs and up to his room.
He opened the door and found Miko fast asleep. Coming over to him, James shook his shoulder. “Wake up, I need your help.”
Startled to wakefulness, the boy bolted upright. When he saw James standing over him he relaxed somewhat. “I was getting worried about you.”
“Sorry about that,” James replied. “I found Perrilin and he’s downstairs.” Holding up a finger he said, “No time for questions. I need your help getting him up here. He’s pretty badly hurt.” As he led Miko from the room he added, “We need to get him up here without letting anyone know that he’s here.”
“How are we to do that?”
“Just follow my lead,” James told him.
Miko gave an affirmative nod and then followed him down the stairs and through the back door. James was relieved to find the bard where he had left him. He and Miko managed to get Perrilin to a standing position, and with an arm around each of their necks, they helped him to and then through the back door.
As they entered, Miss Gilena happened to walk by. She stopped when she saw them, her face turning into a frown. With a disapproving look, she moved toward them and asked, “What is going on?” Her expression indicated her suspicion that they were up to something.
“Just a friend who got the tar beat out of him is all,” James explained.
She turned her gaze first onto James, then Miko. When her eyes turned on the man between them, her expression changed from one of suspicion to that of shock. “Is that…?”
Discovered, James nodded.
A quick glance about found no-one nearby. She waved them forward and said, “Hurry and get him to your room. I’ll be up in a few minutes with some food and water.”
“Thank you,” said James, greatly relieved.
She only nodded in reply then hurried to the kitchen. They helped Perrilin up the stairs and into their room. They put him in the bed furthest from the door. Miko lit the candle on the table which gave the room a little light. They pulled the covers to his chin to better hide him should someone unexpectedly enter. They had just finished with Perrilin when a single knock s
ounded on the door followed right after by Miss Gilena entering the room. Bearing a tray of food and a pitcher of water, along with several towels tucked under one arm, she closed the door with the heel of her foot.
“What happened?” she asked as she came to the bard’s bedside. She handed Miko the tray of food and poured some of the water into a nearby basin, then wetted the end of a towel. She sat on the bed next to Perrilin, and used the damp towel to clean the dried blood off his face.
“I found him being held in a farmhouse several miles out of town,” James explained. “They were beating him up pretty bad and were about to begin using a hot poker. I managed to get him out of there.”
“I thought he was arrested by the city watch?”
“Apparently not,” he explained. “I went by the jail first, but they said he was never brought in.”
They both looked toward the sleeping bard. James wondered what Perrilin had gotten himself into.
After cleaning him up fairly well she said, “You will need to get him out of those dirty clothes and clean the rest of him as well. In the morning, I will bring clean clothes for him.” She got up off the bed then said, “If he wakes, try to get him to eat and drink, at least drink if nothing else. I need to be downstairs and if you should require anything, send the boy down to me,” she emphasized by pointing to herself, “and I shall get you what you need. Understand?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. Now I’ll leave you to it,” Miss Gilena stated as she left the room.
“What now?” Miko asked after the door closed behind her.
“I guess we better get his clothes off and get him cleaned up like she said,” James answered as he removed Perrilin’s shirt.
“No, I mean about gaining access to the Royal Archives.”
When he removed the shirt, he was angered at the many shallow cuts and bruises that marked the bard’s chest and back. The cuts were obviously the source of the blood that stained his shirt.
“They sure did a number on him, didn’t they?” Miko asked as he too examined the bard’s injuries.
“Yes they did,” agreed James. He took another towel and dipped it into the basin. He was careful not to reopen the wounds which had begun to heal. He gingerly removed the rest of the blood and dirt.
“I think we will need to wait until he wakes before we do anything further about the Archives,” James said. “We’ll lay low until tomorrow and then when he awakens see if he can help us. Hopefully he will be awake by then.” Once he had cleaned the wounds, James laid him back into the bed and replaced the covers up to his chin. Then he sat with Miko at the table.
Miko looked longingly at the food piled upon the tray. James said, “We may as well eat it, though let’s leave some for him should he awaken.”
As they ate, James asked Miko if he found out anything about Lord Colerain’s business in Cardri.
“It seems not much is known around here about Lord Colerain,” he explained between bites. “However, I did find out some things about a Lord Kindering.” He saw the lack of understanding on James’ face. He explained, “Lord Kindering is who Lord Colerain is staying with while he’s in town. I did find out that much.”
“Ah, okay,” James said, “go on.”
“Apparently, Lord Kindering is very wealthy. He has many different trading concerns all over Cardri and some even extending into the various kingdoms neighboring us.” Looking at James he added, “He even has businesses inside the Empire, or so it’s said.”
“Interesting. Did you find out what his connection with Lord Colerain was?”
“No, nobody seemed to know much about that,” Miko answered. “However, some that I talked with seemed to think that this Lord Kindering is on the shady side. Rumors have surfaced about dealings with slavers and smugglers.”
“Oh?” prompted James as he finished the last of his share of the meal.
“Couldn’t find out the particulars, but it seems he is not one you would wish to cross.”
“Sounds that way,” James concluded. Seeing that Miko was done with dinner, he said, “Why don’t you try to get some sleep. I’m going to be up for a while.”
Miko didn’t argue, he went over and plopped down on the bed. As he lay there, he watched James take the traveling case with the writing material in it and placed it on the table. “What are ya gonna do?”
James removed a piece of paper, an inkwell, and one of the finely pointed quills. “I’m going to jot down some notes about what’s going on and different things. Just go to sleep and don’t worry about it.”
“No problem there,” he said sleepily. He watched James until drifting off to sleep.
James opened the inkwell and placed it near his paper. He grabbed the quill and dipped it into the inkwell. Ready to write, he brought it to the paper to begin writing. When the quill touched the paper, a big glob of ink flowed off the quill. It made a great big mess.
This may be harder than I thought, He dipped the quill into the ink again, scraping the excess off before he brought it to the paper. This time, he took his time and managed to do a fair job. Though the letters were a bit smudged and fatter than they should have been, he could make out what was written. He spent a little more time practicing making various letters and shapes until he was satisfied.
He put his practice sheet to the side and took out a fresh one. He proceeded to make notes about magic and the various spells he had tried along with their effects. He wrote about how the magic made him feel, the effect it had on him, and other observations.
…It would seem that I don’t really need to use rhyme and meter to produce magical effects. I simply need to have a mental picture and a willingness to do magic, and then it happens. Perhaps the words are simply to help the novice practitioner maintain the mental picture as you do magic. Then once you grow in ability…
…the spells that continue in their effect, like the orb, seem to need a continual draw of energy from the castor in order to maintain the effect. Once you stop the flow, it ends. I have also noted that if you cast a continually active spell, yet don’t want the continual draw or the required mental concentration to maintain it, then the power used is much greater, and much more physically draining than the others. I believe this is due because it draws all the magic required for the duration of the spell at the time you initially cast it. Need to find a way to lessen the impact of those types…
When his eyes began to droop and the yawns came with greater frequency, he set the quill down. He inspected his writing and was satisfied even though it was uneven and the letters were not formed properly. At least it was legible. With more practice, he was certain to get better. More yawns escaped while he closed the inkwell, cleaned his quills, and laid out his manuscripts to dry. He then came to the bed that Miko was sleeping on and settled down beside him, nudging him to move over a bit. When he at last had enough room, he reached to the table, snuffed out the candle and quickly succumbed to sleep.
Chapter Thirteen
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The Unsuspecting Mage: The Morcyth Saga Book One Page 12