by B. K. Parent
It surprised Evan a little how much more enthusiastic he was about checking out the animals than beginning another glass piece or taking up Aure on another glassblowing lesson, something that would have been his heart’s desire not even a year ago. He had begun to wonder lately if glasswork were really his calling, but he had been reluctant to talk to Master Clarisse about his confusion. Yet another reason to wish Master Rollag were here. Evan had always found him easy to talk to.
While the fair was still almost a week away, the fairgrounds was a busy place with workers setting up temporary structures and laying out the lanes that would be filled on either side with booths. The signposts were being repainted, the ones that directed fairgoers as to where each guildhall, trade, or type of merchant might be found. Evan wondered if Nissa would have her booth at the Glassmakers Guildhall, or if she would set up with the other woodworkers.
Evan stopped to watch a sign painter freshen up the lettering on a sign when he noticed that beneath the weathered signs there was a new one on raw wood. He moved closer to read what the new sign said. It read “Rovers and Misc. Merchants.” All thoughts of looking at the livestock left Evan’s mind, and he began following the new signs to see where they led. Once he came to the end of the signs, he stood for a brief moment, then turned, and began the long run back. He needed to talk to Master Clarisse immediately.
Beezle had tossed and turned and could not get comfortable. He had been sure that after the days of long hard riding, and then the long hours of talking to his aunt, uncle, and others about what he had seen and heard since he had left Glendalen, he would fall into bed and be instantly asleep. Turning over to punch his pillow again, he tried unsuccessfully to get comfortable. Though his body was fatigued, his mind would just not stop going over and over what he had learned this night. The information that his uncle and aunt had both gathered from sources they trusted and were loyal to them, while sometimes conflicting, was dire indeed. A great many decisions needed to be made in a very short amount of time.
One of the debates going on was whether the larger landholders should go to the capitol and confront the Regent at this time, leaving their holdings without leadership. Or whether just some of them should go, and if so, who, and could they really trust the ones left behind? Beezle’s uncle was prepared to go because he knew Lady Hadrack and his loyal staff would be able to handle any crisis while he was gone. That was not as true of some of the other landholders in the region. Another debate that raged was even if those loyal to the Crown were to form a large group and travel to the capitol, were they placing themselves at risk by putting themselves in an area controlled by the Regent? Were they better off guarding their own lands and waiting to see what the Regent planned to do about the Princess coming of age?
Tomorrow would be another round of debates and discussions. The difficult part about making choices is that Beezle and his aunt and uncle did not dare let the others know that the Princess was alive and well, contrary to the most persistent prevailing rumors. To give others that information was to put the Princess, Nissa, and the other rovers in even more danger than they were in already. All anyone knew with some amount of certainty was the fact that the Regent was supposed to make a major announcement on the third day of the fair. Somehow there needed to be some type of plan in place, or a number of plans in place to face every possible contingency, which was a near impossible task considering all of the variables and all of the things that could go wrong between now and then.
Master Clarisse was very close to screaming, jumping up abruptly, walking straight out of the guildhall’s meeting room, and running for the hills. It was no wonder that Master Rollag spent as much time away from the capitol as he possibly could. The men and women in this room were those master glassmakers who governed the guild, and many of them were very intelligent and hardworking. But there was always one in any group who was either overly cautious, or overly self-important and longwinded, who made any meeting tedious at best and downright frustrating at the moment. One foolish fellow, who was way too fond of disrupting just when the group seemed to be getting on track in the discussion, had just cut into the conversation again, and his comments had little or nothing to do with what had been under discussion. He is such a nyargle, Master Clarisse thought to herself. She wondered if she could just make an excuse and sneak out. Would anyone really notice? Just when she thought she would probably collapse from sheer frustration, a discreet knock came at the door. The master closest to the door rose and answered the knock, listened, and then signaled to Master Clarisse that she should come to the door. It was with some trepidation that she rose and walked to the door.
“I apologize for dragging you away from an important meeting, Master Clarisse, but there is something that demands your attention,” stated the guildhall seneschal. “If you will follow me please.”
With an apologetic look to the master who had answered the door, and feelings of both great relief and some apprehension, Master Clarisse left the meeting and followed the seneschal down the hall and into a smaller room. Evan was pacing back and forth in the small confines of the room between the two chairs and the fireplace, looking more agitated that Master Clarisse had ever seen him.
“I would not have bothered you had the young lad here not been so persistent. I was fearful he would either burst into the meeting in front of all the masters gathered there, which would not have boded well for his rise in the ranks, or he would simply have just burst,” stated the seneschal, backing his way out of the room, but not before giving Master Clarisse a wink.
She now was not sure if he had just taken pity on her, knowing she hated meetings, and sprung her from the dreadful meeting for which she was going to owe him, or if there were really something wrong.
Once the door was firmly closed behind her, Master Clarisse addressed Evan. “Just what is so important that you felt it necessary to summon me out of a meeting?”
“I was out taking a walk, and I noticed new signs were being put up on posts. You know, the signs that direct fairgoers where to find different areas of the fair.”
“How nice of you to let me know that the fair has new signs that will let me be less lost as I wander the fair. This is what you dragged me out of a meeting to tell me?”
“No, all the old signs are still there, but they’ve added new signs.”
“And what is important about these new signs?” Master Clarisse asked, trying to hold on to what little patience she had left.
“They pointed out the way to where the rovers and miscellaneous merchants were supposed to set up their booths. I overheard some of the painters who were working on the signs comment that the new signs were ordered by the Regent, and the set up was not the way it has always been done. The Regent has declared that rovers must set up their booths in a certain area and would not be allowed to set up in the area of their craft or skill like everyone else. Master Clarisse, you should see where he has put them. Something needs to be done.”
Chapter Seventy-One
Having told Master Clarisse what he had seen when he followed the new fair signs, Evan could no longer contain himself and decided that something needed to be done to right the wrong he so clearly saw was being done to his friends. He wheeled away from the fireplace and charged out the door before Master Clarisse had had a chance to respond and could stop him. Evan ran smack dab into a solid wall of human chest, bouncing back and landing on his bottom with a resounding “oof!”
“Well lad, where are you going in such an angry rush, and Master Clarisse, just what have you said to this lad to make him go rushing off like this?” asked Master Rollag, reaching down to extend a hand to help a very embarrassed Evan up.
“Our impetuous young friend was on his way to confront the head of the fair, at the very least, or the Regent himself, concerning a grave slight,” answered Master Clarisse. “Welcome back, Master Rollag. You have been missed. It is also a relief
to know you are safe and appear to be in one piece.”
“Well, before we go hastening off to confront the powers that be, my friend and I could use a bracing cup of hot tea and a soft chair to sit in,” Master Rollag stated, and motioned to the man, who was standing in the hall just out of sight, to come into the room.
Evan looked up, and then looked up further, to see the face of the man who had just ducked under the door jam to enter the room. He was the tallest and largest man Evan had ever seen, and he had thought Master Rollag was of impressive height and size.
“Now where are my manners?” said Master Rollag with a grin, seeing the look of surprise on Master Clarisse’s face and the look of awe on Evan’s. “This is Seeker Eshana who is mostly responsible for my arriving in one piece. Seeker Eshana, this is Master Clarisse and her apprentice Evan.”
Seeker Eshana nodded in Evan’s direction, stood silently, and took some time assessing Master Clarisse. It was not a rude perusal, but rather a thoughtful one, and in the end he seemed to shake himself, and said, “It is an honor to meet you.”
Master Rollag noticed that the greeting was rather more formal than he would have expected, and though it was subtle, was directed towards Master Clarisse. Something to give some thought to later, but there were more pressing needs at the moment. Evan was rapidly recovering from his embarrassment and surprise and looked ready to charge off to fight dragons once again.
A slight knock sounded at the door, and Master Clarisse moved to answer it. She returned, rolling in a tea cart loaded down with tea, cups, several loaves of bread, a large wedge of cheese, and cakes. Looking at the laden cart reminded Master Clarisse that it was long past lunch time, and her stomach growled.
Acting as hostess of the impromptu gathering, she said, “Why don’t we all find a comfortable place to sit, and while we fill our stomachs, we can catch up on what is happening here. Then you could elaborate on your introductory statement that Seeker Eshana is mostly responsible for you arriving in one piece. I suspect a rather good tale may be forthcoming.”
Ever sensitive to others’ feelings, Master Rollag had asked Evan if his concerns were a matter of life or death, or if it would be better for them to all hear what the problem was, and then put their heads together to find a solution, something that could be better done on a full stomach. Evan looked torn between wanting to charge off to save the day and charging the tea cart. The tea cart won, but only barely, and mainly due to Master Rollag’s intervention.
“While we are eating, I will try to catch you up on where I have been and how Seeker Eshana saved the day with feats of horsemanship that you would appreciate, Evan,” suggested Master Rollag. “When I left the Springwell-over-Hill fair, I had several errands I needed to do. Finding Seeker Eshana was the major one.” Both Master Clarisse and Evan looked expectantly at Master Rollag to explain, but he did not. Rather he continued by saying, “I headed north because that was the direction Seeker Eshana had last been seen and that took me into Lady Celik’s lands. I had hoped to make contact with her, but she beat me to it. She found me. Seems the Regent had sent nobles loyal to him to ‘visit’ her, but it was really to keep her under house arrest. She is a very resourceful woman and slipped away when her folk let her know I was in the area. We followed one rumor after the next, tracking Seeker Eshana, which led us to a very unsavory village pub at the back of beyond. We were about to be confronted by some of the rather more inebriated citizens, when who should show up but the very man we were seeking.”
“You and Lady Celik would not have needed my help against the local bullies,” Seeker Eshana said graciously.
“So how did he save the day, and what did he do on a horse?” asked Evan, who had gotten caught up in the story but was impatient to learn about the feats of horsemanship. He had temporarily forgotten about his primary need to fix the problem that the rovers would face upon coming to the fair.
“Upon leaving the tavern, now that we had found the man we were seeking, we all began to travel back towards the capitol together. We were several hours away from the tavern when Seeker Eshana noticed we were being followed. It is a good thing we had him along because neither Lady Celik nor I were aware of that. Now Evan, you will appreciate this next part. Seeker Eshana handed over the reins of his two pack animals, headed his mount towards the side of the road where he stood in the saddle briefly, and grabbed a hold of thick tree branch that was hanging over the road. He hauled himself up into the denser foliage of the tree and hid himself from sight. Lady Celik and I just kept traveling forward. Seeker Eshana had cautioned me not to take the reins of his horse, and after what seemed like a very long time, his horse wheeled and headed back the way we had come. Seeker Eshana will have to tell you what happened next.”
“I didn’t have to wait long, for as soon as Master Rollag and Lady Celik were out of sight around a long bend in the road another rider came slowly behind them, always being cautious not to be seen. I waited until the rider was directly below me and then just dropped and removed him from his horse. To say the least, I had the advantage of surprise on my side, and he was quickly subdued.”
“You also had size on your side. If you had dropped on me out of a tree, I would have been squashed like a bug,” said Evan impulsively, and then quickly put both hands over his mouth as if to try to shove the words back in.
Seeker Eshana just threw back his head and roared with laughter, breaking the tension that had been in the room.
Once Seeker Eshana wiped the tears of laughter off his face he continued. “To make a long story short, I must admit I dropped a wee bit hard on the lad. It took a bit of time before he had his wits about him to answer my questions, such as why and how long had he been following us? Turns out this young lad, Riagan was his name, was a courier for one Lord Braeden, the large landholder who held an uneasy alliance with the Raven, for their lands adjoined. Once the Raven fell quite literally from power, Lord Braeden moved swiftly to claim both the Raven’s lands and control of what was left of the Raven’s influence in the area.”
“Seems he is recruiting more folks of unsavory ilk to him and has intentions of setting up a stronghold. I think he is banking on the Princess being dead or too impaired to rule, and there being chaos within Sommerhjem as landholders, nobles, and others choose sides. The future he is counting on is a grim one, which would divide Sommerhjem up into warring fiefdoms and chaos,” Master Rollag suggested darkly.
“But why was the courier following all of you?” inquired Master Clarisse.
“Looks like while we were vigilant on our way back towards the capitol, we had not been vigilant while in the tavern. Seems Riagan is a bit of a snoke, likes to poke his nose in where it does not always belong. Knows information is always worth something to the right folks. He overheard us talking, and between what he overheard and identifying us, he thought he might pick up even more information if he followed us. Fortunately, he was not only bad at tailing but also willing to sell out to the highest bidder. I made it worth his while,” Seeker Eshana stated, and the others in the room instinctively knew that Riagan was not richer in coin from that exchange.
“Did you let him go then?” asked Evan.
“Now there’s an intelligent question,” Seeker Eshana said, directing his comment to Master Rollag. “The seekers are always looking for smart youngsters. I am tempted to steal him quite away from you, Rollies.” Continuing on, Seeker Eshana answered Evan’s question. “Let’s just say that Riagan is gaining calluses on his hands as we speak. Seems a farmer friend of mine was in need of a farm hand. Time to muck out the milking barn and do other chores. She and her eight big burly sons, not to mention her two feisty daughters, will keep a close watch on our courier, so he cannot report anything he might have overheard back to Lord Braeden, nor can he continue to follow us. I am sure he will have a greater appreciation of the farmer’s life by the end of next week.”
“
Once he was taken care of,” said Master Rollag, picking up the tale, “we continued on until we were met by those loyal to Lady Celik, who had been stationed to watch out for her return. She then left us and was on her way back to take back control of her situation. I really pity those who were sent by the Regent to keep her in her place. If they reported their failure, they are going to be in real trouble with the Regent, but if they were still at Lady Celik’s manor, they were also in dire trouble.”
“Perhaps they are getting lessons on how to muck stalls too,” Evan suggested impishly.
“Very possibly,” replied Master Rollag. “Now then, lad, we have delayed you long enough. Just what size and shape of dragon were you out to slay before you ran into me?”
Evan looked both sheepish and determined at the same time when he replied, “When I went to look at where the livestock were going to be shown, I saw some sign painters refreshing the directional signs and noticed a new sign. It pointed to where you could find rovers and miscellaneous merchants. I followed the new signs because they had me curious, and when I got to the area they directed me to, I just got mad and came to find Master Clarisse.”
“Where did they take you, lad?” Master Rollag asked.
“The signs led me beyond the livestock area to a small pasture, which would not have been so bad, but it was downwind of both the privies and the manure piles. Why are the rovers being placed in such an awful smelly place so far from the other craft areas?”
“Why indeed?” queried Master Rollag. “Master Clarisse, round up some runners and send notice to the heads of all the other guild halls. Invite them to a meeting later this afternoon. I have an idea.”
Lady Celik settled into her town home in the capitol with a great feeling of satisfaction. While never really out of the game since the death of the Queen, the last few years had been a trying waiting time, and the last few months had been just plain tiresome. Having to put up with those buffoons the Regent had sent, while trying to maintain her temper, had been difficult indeed. One way or another, it would all be over soon. The network she and the Queen had put in place to gather information, oh those long years ago, was still mostly intact, and very few knew the full extent or scope.