The Sampler Platter: A Little Bit of Everything

by Susan Skylark

2

  Briane agreed to accompany Jace on his official return to normality after that, though she chased them out of the room that she might attend to her person ere her debut. They smiled jubilantly at Juliene as they emerged, urging her to go in and help her daughter ere they were forced to wait all day for her to get ready, knowing girls took far too long as it was to finish their morning preparations without being newly blind as well. But she did emerge at last, and together they made their way down to breakfast. The entire populace of the dining hall seemed to draw a collective gasp as the trio entered, taking in every detail from Jace’s new uniform to the strip of cloth covering his sister’s vacant eyes. That Jace was now one of ‘them’ came as no surprise and was of little general interest, but the girl’s blindness was another matter entirely.

  Ella approached at the fastest pace allowable indoors for a lady of breeding, said she to Jace with a sniff, “stand aside and let her true friends be of service.”

  Jace grinned in spite of himself, allowed his former sweetheart to relieve him of his sister’s arm, and exchanged an amused grin with Adan as the ladies walked away, relegating the Apprentices to their relative obscurity. They shrugged and went to find their share of the morning meal, sitting with a jovial group of their comrades who eagerly welcomed Jace officially among them. After the meal, Adan said apologetically, “I should probably get to class, will you be alright by yourself?”

  Jace nodded, “I need some time alone to think and to continue to process the events of the last few days. If the weather is decent, I’ll walk about upon the lawn, else the library will suffice.”

  Adan nodded his agreement and disappeared in the direction of his first class while Jace donned his cloak and made for the enclosed lawn adjacent to the courtyard. The weather was yet fine and warm, even with the recent onset of autumn, and he happily paced about for most of the morning, mulling over all that had happened and what the future might hold. He could remember little of what had occurred during ‘the incident’ or in the ensuing days, but he knew he had been utterly changed, he just wished there was someone to whom he could talk upon the matter. Wearied with his continued pacing, he at last seated himself upon one of the many benches beneath the ancient trees scattered over the sward.

  He woke with a start to find a shadowy figure looming over him, which a moment later he realized with dread, was one of the Brethren. He leapt to his feet and hastily offered the appropriate courtesies, at which the man grinned like one vastly amused, said he as Jace fumbled through the process, “easy lad, the Lady has summoned us both into her presence.” The boy blanched further in terror and the man grinned all the more, but wasted no further time in escorting the boy to the Lady’s familiar chambers.

  They bowed themselves in and she motioned for them to be seated off to one side in a less formal sitting area where tea and a tray of sandwiches awaited them. She smiled warmly at the boy, glad that he was far more himself upon this visit; his complete indifference during their previous interview was as far from his current unease and near terror as the east was from the west. Said she at last, “help yourselves, since I know neither of you has yet eaten.”

  Baye grinned, “Lady, I had not yet dismounted when I was informed that you wished to see me immediately along with this young rapscallion, whom I found dozing against a tree when I am sure he should have been busy elsewhere.”

  Jace wanted to sink into the floor, horribly embarrassed, yet also aghast at the man’s bantering tone while addressing the Lady of Astoria. They exchanged an amused grin over the lad’s mystification and astonishment, before the Lady answered mirthfully, to the boy’s continued mortification, “he has had an eventful week, thus I think we can forgive him this lapse, at least this once.”

  Baye bowed his head gravely and a perplexed half-smile blossomed on Jace’s face, as he began to understand the dynamics between the Brethren’s august leader and one of her oldest and most capable servants. The Lady saw comprehension dawn in the lad’s eye and smiled proudly, the boy would one day be just as vital a Messenger as his soon to be mentor. Continued she, “when was the last time you had an apprentice?”

  Baye glanced curiously at the boy and then met the Lady’s eye once more, said he far too blandly, “I have never had an apprentice.”

  She actually gaped at him, something rarely done by someone who had held this position for as long as she, as she regained control of herself, she said, “how is that possible?”

  He shrugged but smiled easily, “perhaps with all the dire missions on which you send me, you never thought to imperil one of your pupils likewise.”

  She nodded thoughtfully and then frowned, “you are correct, with all the missions I and my predecessor have set you, how is it you have survived this long?”

  He met her gaze evenly, she knew there was something he was not telling, likely could not, knowing how his ilk loved to conceal things from her, said he, “that I cannot say, but I am ever at your service.” He glanced questioningly at the boy, “are you sure you want to risk this one in my keeping?”

  Jace gaped, he had never thought to be assigned to a mentor so soon, he had not even given a thought to which sect of the Brethren he might like to belong, but the Messengers? Did he have any choice in the matter? The man saw his reaction and grinned, “see, even he is appalled at the idea.”

  The Lady nodded grimly, “I fully understand, but this is a very special case.” She frowned in consternation at the incongruity of her forthcoming statement, “one of the servants has asked that it be so.”

  Baye froze, asking quietly, “which particular servant?”

  The Lady met his intense gaze and answered just as quietly, “Jared.”

  Baye turned surprised eyes upon the boy, “is that so?” He smiled amusedly at the Lady’s predicament, said he with a grin, “it cannot be easy taking orders from your underlings, my Lady, but there is not a man alive that I would trust more, most especially under such strange circumstances.”

  Her answering smile was wry indeed, “you speak truly, my friend.” She turned to Jace and asked gently, “are you agreeable to this dangerous but intriguing arrangement? There is certainly no better man alive to hone and refine your remarkable skills than Baye, but it is your choice.” What could he do but nod his wide-eyed acceptance?

  So it was, that a few minutes later, they found themselves walking side by side down the corridor, the boy nearly as flummoxed as he had been the moment he awakened again in the mortal world while Baye wore a smile of vast amusement. Said he at last to the stunned Jace, “what say you to a little ride about the countryside?” Jace met his eye and smiled eagerly, a thousand unasked questions roiling in his mind. The man laughed merrily and led the way to the stables.

  Once they were well and truly alone in the wide fields surrounding the city, allowing their mounts to amble at leisure, for Jace was not up for anything more strenuous, Baye began, “I can see you are near to bursting with questions lad, ask away.” The boy frowned, suddenly uneasy, not knowing how much he could ask or tell this near stranger. The man laughed easily, suddenly understanding the lad’s predicament, said he, “look at your right palm lad.”

  Frowning, Jace did as he was instructed, and gasped to see the figure of a small, rampant unicorn alight thereupon with a silver light. Baye held his own hand up for Jace to inspect, nearly falling out of his saddle in astonishment, said he at last, “what is it? Can everyone see it?”

  Baye grinned, “nay lad, it is only visible to those of us within the Shadow.”

  Jace reined his horse in sharply, “Shadow? Like the stories? The Shadow of the Unicorn?!”

  Baye nodded, “you observed the strange nature of those books? It is the same way with the Mark, only those who need to see it can. But yes, the tales are true, and you are in the very midst of them.” He laughed in remembrance, “though real life will be far more strange and wonderful by far than those old legends tell.”

  Jace
let his gelding have his head, as he said, “what exactly is it? What are we? What do we do?”

  Baye smiled, hugely enjoying the lad’s naiveté, said he, “it is something that must be experienced rather than told, that is the purpose of an Apprenticeship after all, but I will tell you a little, if only to spare your sanity. We are a suborder within the Brethren, technically a part of the brotherhood, yet also something else altogether. As our name implies, we act and exist in secret and few know anything of us, even the Lady knows little of the truth.”

  The boy nodded eagerly as the man continued, this time far more seriously, “you must speak of this to no one outside the Shadow. Should you even think of revealing any of this, you will fall dead before your tongue can betray us.” Jace blanched, knowing somehow that he spoke truly, but also that he was incapable of accidentally betraying the secret, rather the warning applied to one who intentionally meant to speak things forbidden for others to hear.

  Baye lightened his tone, “fear not lad, you know you must deliberately betray the Shadow for that to be the case. Unlike the rest of the Brethren, we are Called to this peculiar service rather than choosing it freely; we can refuse of course,” Jace smiled ruefully at this remark, “but it is not an occupation just anyone can decide to pursue at will. Any man with a willing heart can take up with the Brethren and join the sect that best suits his tastes and abilities, but very few ever find themselves Called into the service of the Shadow.”

  Jace frowned, “how many, exactly?”

  Baye smiled broadly, “you would be the sixth since the world began.”

  Jace gaped and Baye smiled the more, the boy grinned, “very few indeed! What would have happened had I refused?”

  Baye shook his head, “it is not for mortal men to know the ‘what ifs,’ lad, only the Master is omniscient, but if you had refused the Master entirely, you would have led a frustrating and pointless life, always feeling that you were somehow missing out on something. If you had simply refused this particular service, they would have found an empty cell and you would have remained forever in the Master’s presence, rather than returning to the mortal world.” His smile broadened eagerly, “but you will soon find yourself in a life more fulfilling than you can yet imagine. You asked what our purpose is? The Messengers supposedly take on the most complex and impossible of missions for the Lady, while that is true to a point, it is the truly impossible missions that fall to us.” He paused for a moment, deciding how best to proceed, “we get the quests that are not humanly possible, but with our Master’s power and grace, we can often succeed.” He smiled ruefully, “of course none of the credit will ever fall to us, as we are not even supposed to exist, but then we do this for the Master’s glory and purposes, not our own. Jared has spent countless centuries in the post of servant, when he is actually the Captain of the Shadow, but in that position he knows everything that is happening in the Keep and can act accordingly.”

  Jace said thoughtfully, “I know the Brethren can live up to three hundred years, but if there are so few of us, how is it that there are so many of us alive at this particular time?”

  Baye studied the boy proudly, knowing he was well suited to their calling with his quick mind, said he, “the Brethren may live three hundred years, but we have no set lifespan.” He paused to allow the boy time to process this revelation and then continued, “you looked upon the Master himself, undisguised in all His glory, no mortal man can survive that. Your sister was stricken blind, thus sparing her life and hopefully teaching her discretion, but you were unmade. Had you refused your Calling, you would have remained wherever it is the Master and His dwell, but we would never have seen you more. But you chose to enter this service and thus returned to us, a mortal man but not a mortal man.”

  The boy frowned, uncomprehending, but Baye’s only reply was to grunt and fall from his saddle. Jace glanced around frantically, only then seeing the bulk of his childhood home looming out of the trees before them as his heart sank, knowing his father was somehow involved in this tragedy. He flung himself out of the saddle and raced to his mentor’s side; an arrow protruded from the man’s chest and he smiled ruefully, “this is rather embarrassing...” He trailed off and lay still.

  A cold hand seemed to clench Jace’s heart as he stood, knowing what he must do. Hand on his sword hilt, he turned to face his adversaries when an arrow lodged itself in his flank; his knees buckled as he groaned in agony, but he kept his wits about him and drew his sword as their assailant broke cover. Jace stared in horror but not surprise as the old guardsman, the closest thing in his life to a father, studied the scene with a grim frown. He kicked Baye, but seemed satisfied when there came no response. He then turned stony eyes upon the boy, still on his knees but sword in hand. He smiled gravely and said, “put down the sword, demon, we have ways of dealing with your kind.”

  Jace gaped, he might have expected something of the sort from the rather addled old housekeeper or perhaps even his father, but from the old soldier? He struggled to his feet and the man took a step back, knowing the lad was dangerous, even wounded. Demanded the boy, “do you not know me?”

  The old man scoffed, “none of that now! You wear the face of one I once knew, but we all know him dead or worse. He could not have survived winter alone in these hills.”

  Jace rolled his eyes, “Astoria is half a day’s walk from here!”

  The man shook his head gravely, “better to die in the wilderness than accept the mercy of them demon-worshippers.”

  Jace sighed, “you have killed an innocent and valiant man, you must be held accountable.”

  The man smiled incredulously, “I recognize no authority but the Lord of the Keep, he’ll know what to do with you, demon.”

  Jace shifted his stance, ready to defend himself, when he felt a blow to the back of his head, far too reminiscent of the day when he should have fallen to his death. Blackness engulfed him for a few moments and when he came to himself, the housekeeper was standing over him with a cast iron frying pan in hand, saying to the guardsman with a laugh, “that’s how you deal with a demon!”

  The man’s reply was cut short as he saw the boy stirring and gasped, “he’s awake, let’s get him to the keep!”

  Jace was having trouble concentrating, worse, he felt like he was about to unravel; he knew if he lost hold of himself, it might be disastrous for anyone around him. He smiled grimly at the thought, thinking the villains might well deserve it, but he knew that thought was unworthy of both himself and his Master, in Whose image all men were made. He was as wretched and guilty as they, no more deserving of grace, but happily its recipient, and it was a gift freely offered to all men, they had only to accept it, and that was the whole point of life: the search for that precious gift and afterwards, helping others to find it. It seemed there was yet much he must learn about human nature, particularly his own, and what was expected of him as a true servant of the Master. But that is what his apprenticeship was all about. He glanced sadly down at the unmoving Baye, wondering who might be his mentor now. Then they forced him to his feet and groaning, he remembered the arrow in his side, perhaps he would need no mentor after all. The thought of his ingloriously short career brought another smile and a buffet from his captors, who thought him insolent.

  They half drug, half carried the boy, for he was in no shape to walk of his own accord. It was an unwieldy and slow process, for neither were young and the lad was not as slight as he once had been, but at last they dropped him to the paving stones in the fortress’ courtyard, gasping and nearly insensible, frantically fighting the rising panic that he was beginning to fray at the edges. The pair hastened off, neither willing to remain alone with a demon, to find the master of the castle, hoping he would deign to come to their prisoner rather than having to drag the fool into the depths of the keep. Just when the boy felt he could not hold himself together any longer, he felt a firm pressure on his shoulder and a stabilizing pulse of light co
ursed through his being. His head cleared, his breathing eased, and he was no longer in danger of falling to pieces.

  He sat up with a start to see a jovially smiling Baye standing over him, said he with a laugh, “you could have done that for yourself lad, but I suppose you didn’t know how because this is still technically your first day on the job.” He shook his head, “you nearly came undone, we’ll have to work on that too. Until you can control yourself, even on the brink of death, you are dangerous to anyone who happens to be in the area at the time, and you might inadvertently reveal things the world need not know.”

  The boy smiled ruefully as he took Baye’s offered hand and climbed to his feet, then said in a voice strained with wonder, “you live?!”

  Baye nodded, as if it were the most natural thing in the world for a dead man to do so, he smiled in vast amusement, “think about it lad, the attrition rate amongst the Messengers is frightful, yet I said our assignments are worse than theirs yet there are only a handful of us, which must imply that death is not a permanent condition amongst us.”

  Jace’s eyes were wide in wonder, but he managed an impish half smile, “which explains your unicorn’s complete indifference to your demise and your absurd last words.”

  Baye’s eyes narrowed but the corner of his lips twitched, betraying his amusement, said he, “absurd? What kind of a word is that to use in relation to your mentor lad? Indeed! I think a month shoveling muck is just recompense for your insolence. Tell me what is not embarrassing about being unhorsed and pierced through the heart by a doddering old grey beard with no teeth? I have met many an end far more gruesome, romantic, or poetic,” he frowned in consternation, “I am not sure one should apply those last two words to death, but you get the idea, that such an inglorious end should be mine, is well, rather embarrassing!”

  Jace grinned, “I see your point, but should we truly be so concerned about how others perceive the glory, or lack thereof, of our demise?”

  Baye smiled ruefully, “lad, I am the one who is supposed to be teaching you, not you me! But you are correct, I need to swallow my own pride and attend to our Master’s business.”

  Jace could make no reply before a terrified shout echoed through the half constructed ruin as the guardsman returned and saw his dead and dying prisoners alive and well, “demons! I told you they was demons!”

  Baye demanded of the frantic man, “where is your master?”

  “I’ll never betray my lord!” he raised his sword and would have charged the pair in a suicidal rampage, but six of the Brethren suddenly galloped into the courtyard and drew rein, which deflated the infuriated guardsman, who dropped his sword and stared listlessly at the pavement. The housekeeper, frying pan at the ready, crept around the corner, took one look at the host in their midst, and joined her companion in the bitter grasp of defeat.

  “Now for the rat,” said Baye eagerly to Jace, he glanced at his comrades and said, “these two are guilty of attempted murder at the least, but I think they are also rather confused and afraid, which is no excuse but I do not think them to be murderous fiends out of habit. We’ll find the so-called lord of this place.” They dashed off to find Jace’s father, leaving the others to tend to the two disheartened prisoners.

  They ran down a corridor that ended abruptly, for where a wall should have been the surrounding forest stood. Baye turned to the boy in exasperation, “I have no idea where to find this fellow.”

  Jace grinned, “I grew up here and the man in question is my father, but he’s likely fled by now.”

  It was Baye’s turn to gape that day, but he motioned for the boy to lead on, but he was correct in his assumption that the man had fled the moment he knew his castle under siege, abandoning his servants to their fate while he thought to get away. But Baye’s unicorn had not been idle, not only had he summoned his companions bearing the patrol that had just wandered into the forsaken fortress, he had also waited at the back of the dismal structure and shadowed the fugitive. The other news brought by the creature caused Baye to glance at his apprentice with speculative eyes, was the lad ready for this? He smiled roguishly and laughed to himself, ready or not, the lad would learn this day what the greatest task of the Shadow truly was. He said to the lad, as they jogged along, “I fear your father was involved in something far more deep and sinister than he can begin to imagine. Are you ready for the fight of your life?” The boy was all eager smile. Baye’s smile became proudly paternal; the lad would do well indeed!

  They approached the clearing where the unicorn awaited them, draped in darkness to blend in with the surrounding vegetation. Two men were arguing in the glade, a tall dark figure loomed over a bent, aged man, both seemed to be berating the other but neither making his point. Jace felt a twinge of pity for his defeated sire and Baye seemed to feel his angst, whispered he, “don’t worry about the old man, he is not our main interest in this fight. That shadowy fellow is our true quarry; watch out for his dark sorcery and his vile reptile.”

  Jace’s eyes were wide, wondering what sort of fiend his father had entangled himself with, but he could make no reply as the pair suddenly seemed to sense their presence and turned to face the intruders. Then everything seemed to happen at once: Jace’s father crumpled with the villain’s knife in his back, Baye leapt upon the fiend the next instant, and a hideous reptile as big as a horse came snarling out of the underbrush, intent on tearing Baye to pieces. As the others exchanged furious sword strokes, Jace set upon the bipedal monster. He knew he only had one chance before the creature would tear him to shreds and he was determined to make it count. His sword neatly pierced the monster’s breast and the next moment its claws and teeth were upon him. Jace was dead long before the vile thing’s miniscule brain figured out it was too.

  The shadowy fiend howled in fury as Baye struck true, but he collapsed with a triumphant cackle, “you may have won the day, but the cost was dear!”

  Baye looked sadly down at his defiant foe, “it is not too late!” His only answer was to scoff and melt into a fetid pool of black ooze. Baye shook his head in disgust and knelt beside his apprentice, or what was left of him. He smiled ruefully, remembering their earlier conversation pertaining to ignominious deaths; the boy had certainly not suffered such a fate himself. He laid a gentle hand to the shredded remains of the boy and that awful, wonderful light soon suffused the corpse, restoring the lad to his previous state, save with the addition of a joyous smile. Baye met his wondering gaze and laughed, “now that was not an embarrassing death at all.” He offered the lad his hand and drew him to his feet.

  Jace studied the fallen monster, impressed, the thing was far more hideous and terrifying than he had at first thought. Baye clapped his astonished apprentice on the shoulder and laughed, “well done lad, few can say they accomplished half as much on the first day of their apprenticeship.” His unicorn informed him that their comrades were en route and he frowned, “we can’t let the others see this beast, it will only inspire questions we can’t answer.” He touched the monstrosity and released a burst of light into the carcass. It instantly vanished in a flash of blinding radiance and Jace gaped anew.

  Four of the Brethren rode into the clearing a moment later and glanced about curiously, taking in the dead man and their bedraggled comrades. Baye greeted them warmly, explaining, “we found the aged gentleman, who is the so-called lord of this ruin, arguing with a shadowy companion, who turned on him with his knife leaving him as you see. I fought with the vile man and struck him a mortal blow, but as you can see, he has vanished.”

  The patrol leader told off two of his men to scour the area in search of the missing fiend while the others attended to the dead man and then returned to the ruin, to see if there was aught of interest remaining there. In the end, they never found the villain, though from Baye’s account he could not have fled far or survived long, wherever he was, so they contented themselves with that and further explored the ruin. Long had the Lady tolerat
ed the wretched structure so close to Astoria, purely for the sake of its inmates, but at last it could crumble to dust as it ought. The two remaining servants had been taken back to Astoria to give their account to the Lady, leaving Jace the heir apparent of the dismal place. Happily did he surrender it to the whims of time and weather.

  The remaining patrolmen resumed their interrupted circuit while Baye and Jace continued what should have been a quiet ride through the country on a brilliant fall day. Once they were alone, Baye said with a smile, “how was your first adventure?”

  The boy returned his grin but then sobered, “who or what was that man?”

  Baye said quietly, glancing about to make sure they were truly alone, “a fell worker of evil, one of a group calling themselves the Brotherhood of the Serpent, they use blood magic to bind themselves to the Enemy and gain power thereby. They are possessed of a variety of horrid spells and are wont to ride those terrible reptiles. We are their greatest foes, though our Brothers are a veritable nuisance to most of their plots and scheming, if inadvertently, completely unaware of the nefarious organization as they are.”

  Jace frowned, “why is the Lady unaware of this shadowy nemesis?”

  Baye shook his head, “the villains speak of a Time of Revelation, when all the world will know of their evil, but until then, for reasons I do not know but which our Master has decreed, we are to guard this secret as closely as we hold our own.”

  Jace nodded, wondering how many more secrets he would soon be in possession of and how on earth he was to keep from accidentally giving them away. Baye grinned, knowing his predicament, said he, “don’t worry lad, you won’t be able to betray that which must be held in confidence, unless you intend to do so, and then you will not be given the chance. Now what do you say to a little practice?” Jace gave him an eager look and he continued, “you need to learn to control your power, lest it inadvertently injure any bystanders. If you are up for it, I will give you that chance.” Jace nodded eagerly and they drew up in a quiet clearing well away from any unwitting passersby.