Pieter shook his head doubtfully.
“Some of the courtiers will be suspicious,” he warned Shandon. “They might see it as a bid to gain influence with the crown.”
“To the depths with them,” Jergen said angrily. “Bunch of sycophants and lackeys, that's what they are. Who gives a damn what they think?”
“Some do,” Shandon said heavily. “They may be useless popinjays for the most part but, like it or not, they have influence over a great number of our people.”
He picked up his tankard again and drained it. Then he slammed it down on the table with a bang.
“But when have I ever really worried about what others think, eh Jergen?” he asked with a grin.
Jergen smiled broadly.
“Never, my friend. Never. And if you want my advice, for what it's worth, then I say listen to Larin.”
He looked around the table and chortled.
“Don't look so surprised,” he said to the group. “I may not like magic, but I'm no fool. If it means protecting Shandon and his throne, then by all means accept Larin's offer.”
Shandon glanced at Pieter, who nodded in agreement.
“If you fall, the empire will crumble,” he told the king quietly. “It will be engulfed in civil war. Most of our people will never allow themselves to be ruled by Corbin and his treasonous followers. Accept the offer of protection, old friend, and then let us track down this traitorous cur and his pet witch and deal with them once and for all.”
Hallic and Mel had sat silently for most of the discussion. Now he tapped gently on the table and the others looked at him curiously.
“I am not a counselor,” he said to the king. “But allow me to add some weight to your friends' advice. My guild has fallen to this traitor, so I have seen firsthand how quickly he and that witch can exert their influence. You are our one hope, Shandon Ironhand, and you must live if our society is to survive.”
Shandon frowned at him.
“The rogues guild has fallen?” he asked, clearly perplexed. “What are you saying, Hallic?”
“Mel, would you tell the king what happened to you earlier, please?”
“As you wish, Father,” Mel replied soberly.
She looked around the table and took a deep breath before focusing on Shandon.
“My lord,” she began, “today our guildmaster was assassinated. He had received a message from the master of the Cindercore guild not long before his death, a message that warned of sedition amongst the ranks of our people. The messenger was an old student of mine.”
She hesitated, scowling at the memory.
“He was also murdered,” she continued. “And, after I discovered the body of Guildmaster Darlheim, an attempt was made on my life as well. Thanks to Larin here, I was able to escape, but until we have more information, we must consider our guild compromised.”
“By the gods, this is terrible news,” Shandon muttered. “Everyone around this table knows that the guild was loyal to the crown, despite what the general populace might have thought. To know that it has fallen? Dark tidings indeed.”
“It is even worse than that,” Hallic said harshly.
The king looked at him.
“How so?” he asked.
“Consider this,” the rogue replied. “If my guild can be co-opted so rapidly, it means that Corbin and his followers, including this witch of his, have been plotting against the crown for a lot longer than we believed. And it must mean that he is far more clever than he ever let on. This attack was very devious.”
“I'm sorry, Hallic, but I must respectfully disagree.”
The rogue looked at Larin in surprise and the mage smiled thinly at him.
“I do not know how intelligent the prince may be,” he continued, “but I do not believe that these bold actions have been ordered by him. No, I see the hand of Cindra in this. She is brash enough to have attacked the rogues guild directly, where Corbin and his advisers might have tried a more subtle approach. Her ambition and lust for power would drive her to move ahead with their plans much more quickly than perhaps the prince would wish.”
“If that is so, then we truly are treading through a dark cave without a torch,” Hallic said to the king. “I thought that we had the time to search for Corbin and neutralize him before he caused too much trouble. Now everything has changed. Darlheim was going to ask the guilds all across the empire to search for him and then report back. After they had found him, I was going to travel to his location and scoop him up.”
“But now, from what you have told me, we no longer have the support of the rogues guild,” Shandon said slowly as he stared across the room, lost in thought. “And Larin's people can't find Corbin either, not with that witch shielding him. Damn it.”
He looked at Jergen and Pieter.
“Any ideas?” he asked them. “We have ten major cities and dozens of towns and villages spread out across the empire. My son could be anywhere. Finding him could take months and, by the time we do locate him, if we do, he may have already consolidated his power and gained more followers.”
Pieter stood up, scooped up the king's empty tankard along with his own and walked over to the bar. Jergen watched his friend for a moment, a tiny smile peeking through his beard, before replying to Shandon.
“I can't think of any answers,” he grumbled. “But I do have a question. How is he doing it? Corbin, I mean. He isn't wealthy and he certainly doesn't have any charisma. That much I know. So how is he getting others to follow him? Those attackers in the guild, for example,” Jergen said as he looked at Hallic. “Who were they? Where did they come from? How were they paid? Hallic, were they members of your guild?”
“I don't know,” the rogue replied. “Their faces were covered.”
He looked at Mel.
“When we were watching the attack through Larin's mirror, we only heard a few cries when Mel fought back against the assassins. Screams aren't usually enough to identify someone.”
“You fought them?” Jergen asked Mel.
“Well, I blew a couple of them up,” she replied with a shrug. “It wasn't really a fight though.”
Jergen grinned widely.
“Good for you,” he exclaimed. “Serves the bastards right. They might not have been members of the guild at all.”
Shandon leaned forward to stare at Hallic.
“Perhaps your people haven't been compromised after all. Hallic, you must have friends inside of the guild whom you trust. Can you not contact them? Find out what's happening?”
The rogue rubbed his chin as he nodded slowly.
“I was thinking the same thing,” he mused. “With Larin's help, I could speak to them from a distance, without putting them in danger by trying to reach them in person. If they confirm that the guild is still largely intact and loyal to the crown, we can flush out any traitors and go from there.”
“Magic Mirror spell?” Shandon asked the mage.
“Yes, my lord,” Larin replied, looking surprised. “You know it?”
The king chuckled and accepted his tankard from Pieter as the dwarf returned to the table and sat down again.
“I've been doing some reading,” Shandon said after he had raised his mug and taken a drink. “The royal library is packed with ancient tomes that tell tales of life back when magic was available to our people. I admit that I was fascinated by the stories of the powers that the old mages used to use in aid of the crown. The way that your people used to communicate with each other and spy for the kings was of particular interest to me.”
“Definitely sounds like something that we can use now,” Pieter agreed. “If you, Larin, can help Hallic speak with his allies, we might find that we are not in as much trouble as we originally thought.”
“Before we get ahead of ourselves, let's return to the reason that we are here in the first place,” the rogue said as he regarded Shandon. “Will you accept the protection of the mages? If you will, then we can move forward knowing that you are at least as safe
as you can be from Cindra's magics.”
The king put down his tankard and sat back in his chair. He fiddled with his beard for a moment and glanced quickly at Jergen and Pieter.
Both dwarves nodded as they caught his eye and Shandon smiled back at them.
“For myself, I would rather face what comes with my hammer in my hand, and deal with any attackers as a warrior should,” he said slowly.
Larin watched him anxiously, while Hallic and Mel stared at the king expressionlessly, waiting for his decision.
“But this isn't about me,” Shandon continued. “This is about the dwarven empire. My son is a traitor, that much is obvious now. I had hoped to stop him without bloodshed, but he has already struck the first blow, and I must now treat him as I would any other enemy of the crown.”
He sat up, his eyes bright and his expression determined.
“Very well, Larin. I accept your offer of protection. Bring your people here, as many as you feel are needed. Falder.”
The seneschal stepped forward. He had been standing almost unnoticed next to the entrance to the room and listening quietly to the entire discussion.
“My lord?” he said respectfully.
“Make arrangements to house Larin's people. Tell the guards that they are my guests and that they are to be given the freedom to come and go as they please.”
Falder smiled at the mage.
“Of course, my lord. Larin, I am at your disposal. Just tell me what you need.”
“Thank you,” the mage replied. “I appreciate that.”
“And if the courtiers complain?” Jergen asked the king with a frown.
Shandon smiled wickedly.
“Then they complain. It will show us just how loyal those popinjays really are.”
Jergen snorted with laughter.
“Sounds good to me,” he said.
Once the king had made his decision, things started moving quickly. Larin asked Shandon if he happened to have a mirror in his bedchamber. The king raised an eyebrow at the question, but he nodded.
“Aye, that I do,” he said with a grimace. “Overly large and gaudy thing it is, but I suppose it was considered important to make it so, back when it was first made. Why? Did you want to use it for your communications?”
“Yes, my lord. I'm going to have to contact my apprentice,” Larin replied. “And tell her to make arrangements to send a half-dozen mages to the palace, ready for an extended stay. And Hallic wishes to speak with his friends in the rogues guild. A large mirror would be the best medium to use for those communications.”
“As you wish.”
Shandon stood up.
Come along and I'll show you where it is. Falder, go ahead and make arrangements to provide accommodations for Larin's people.”
He glanced at the mage.
“How many rooms will you need?” Shandon asked him.
“Well, if you have the space, my lord, then six rooms would be best,” Larin replied diffidently. “I will request that five other mages join me here so that you are protected at all times. But because we are constantly studying, trying to improve our craft, we will each need our privacy when not on duty.”
The king chuckled.
“Have the space? My friend, half of the palace is deserted. When you walk through some sections, it's like walking through a tomb. We have more than enough room for you and your people. Falder?”
“I will make the arrangements immediately, my lord,” the seneschal replied with a bow.
He turned and left the room and Shandon motioned at Larin and Hallic.
“Come along, my friends. Pieter, entertain Mel for a few moments, won't you? And don't let Jergen tell her any of his bawdy stories.”
Both warriors laughed, while Mel just rolled her eyes and smiled.
Inside of the king's bedchamber, lamps were glowing in each corner. A massive four-poster bed stood against one wall and several large wardrobes stood across from it. Centered on the wall directly opposite of the bed was an oval mirror, nearly six feet high and four feet wide. Its frame was gilded and ornate, carved to look like the mirror was surrounded by twisting flames.
“Ugly old thing, isn't it?” Shandon said with distaste. “Bloody mirror used to make me jump when I'd wake up and see myself in bed. Problem is, it's bolted to the wall and I'd have to tear it down and patch the holes to get rid of it. So I just got used to it instead.”
He looked at Larin.
“Will it do?” he asked.
“It will indeed, my lord,” the mage replied with a wide smile. “In fact, it's perfect.”
Shandon snorted.
“If you say so. Do you need me to stay with you while you,” he wiggled his fingers, “do whatever you have to do?”
“If you could stay a moment, my lord, while I contact my apprentice,” Larin said, “it would help to make my request more official. She will be able to tell the others that she saw you, you see, and...”
“And it will add more authority to your invitation.” Shandon said with a nod. “That makes sense. As I understand it, you aren't actually the leader of the mages, are you?”
Larin moved to stand in front of the mirror. He smiled at the king's reflection.
“No one truly leads us, my lord. We are too independent for that. But the others at least listen to me and follow most of my suggestions. This one, however, will take some of them aback. With your official approval, however, I don't think too many of them will say no.”
“Go on then. Do what you have to do.”
Larin nodded and began chanting quietly. The king moved closer to Hallic and spoke to him under his breath while the mage cast his spell.
“Do you have someone in the guild that you can trust?” he asked the rogue. “Someone that Larin can contact so that we can find out what is happening in there?”
Hallic nodded thoughtfully.
“A handful of old friends,” he replied. “The problem is, we come and go a lot. Our contracts take us far and wide across the empire, so I'm not sure who is actually here in Kingstone at the moment. Larin may have his work cut out for him as we get in touch with each one.”
“Well, let's hope that he's up to it,” Shandon replied softly. “I don't know how much energy it takes to do this whole Magic Mirror thing, but I do know that it takes some effort on the part of the caster. Multiple contacts may exhaust him.”
“My lord?”
The two of them looked at Larin, who waved at the mirror.
“I have made contact with my apprentice, Essa,” he said.
Hallic looked at the mirror and saw the image of the young dwarf who had brought them tea back in Larin's quarters. She was staring out of the mirror, wide-eyed, as she obviously recognized the king.
“Essa, I'm sure that you know who this is,” Larin said to her as he motioned at Shandon.
The young mage bowed gracefully.
“I do. It is an honor to meet you, your majesty,” she said.
“Thank you, Essa,” Shandon said warmly. “I am pleased to meet you as well. Larin, go ahead and pass along your message.”
“Yes, my lord. Essa, the king has agreed to allow our people to protect him from a possible attack by hostile magics.”
“Cindra?” the young mage said, her voice suddenly heavy with loathing.
“Exactly. Who else? Now, I need you to speak with the senior mages. Tell them that I need five others to join me here at the palace so that the king is protected at all times. Tell them that it will be an extended stay, so they may bring along whatever essentials they will need. His majesty has graciously offered us our own quarters in the palace, so they will have solitude to continue their studies while they are here. Would you pass along my request please?”
“Certainly, Elder,” Essa told him. “And I will mention that the king was with you when you asked for their aid. I think that will help some of the more, um, stubborn mages to decide to offer their services.”
Larin smiled broadly at her.
/> “I rather hope that it does. Go on now. Time is of the essence. When you are done, contact me. If his majesty allows it, the five can Gate directly into the palace and avoid detection by any spies who may be watching the front gates.”
Shandon appeared to be surprised by the mage's statement.
“I hadn't thought of that,” he said. “You are more devious than you appear to be, Larin. Yes, his majesty will allow it,” he added with a self-deprecating grin.
“Thank you. Essa?”
“I will go to them immediately, Elder,” she told the mage. “It may take an hour or two before I get back to you though.”
“That's fine. Don't try to rush them. They already know the gravity of the situation, I'm sure. Call me when you can.”
Essa nodded and bowed to the king again.
Larin gestured and her image wavered and faded away, leaving the three dwarves staring at their own reflections again.
“An excellent start,” the king told the mage.
He smiled slyly at Hallic.
“I assume that you would rather I not be here when you contact your fellow guild members?” Shandon asked.
“Well, let us say that your presence might...inhibit my colleagues,” Hallic replied with a grin.
“I thought as much. Well then, I'll rejoin the others and let you two get on with it. Let me know what they have to say and we'll go from there.”
The king left the room as Hallic looked at Larin again.
“Ready to go?” he asked with a nod at the mirror.
“Of course. All I need from you is the name of the person you wish to contact and a description of them. That should be enough to allow my spell to find them. It may take a few tries, mind you, but that can't be helped.”
“Very well then. Let's begin.”
Chapter 10
Back in the lounge, Shandon found Jergen and Pieter laughing loudly at a wicked story that Mel was telling them. The king watched from the doorway for a moment, relishing the scene. A part of him wondered just how much laughter there would be in the coming days and months, if he didn't stop his son from bringing the empire to ruin. It was a sobering thought.
The Dwarven Rebellion Page 12
