Heart of the Staff - Complete Series

by Carol Marrs Phipps

  ***

  Sir Chester was a very popular figure in Niarg. The son and grandson of legendary heroes in battle, he was granted the largest fief in the kingdom when he was knighted by King Henry. He quickly became a celebrity for his consistently victorious jousts and widely envied for his charismatic gestures before the ladies. He was so highly regarded in fact, that the king was willing to accept a substantial amount of shield money from him in exchange for his freedom from the obligation to go to war, the only such arrangement ever made in the entire history of Niarg. Thus freed from duty, he spent his days living in the garrison tower above the back outer ward and staying in practice for his endless victories at the jousts.

  Ugleeuh was nearly bowled over by a page, running down the stairs of Sir Chester's tower while she was on her way up to his door in the middle of the morning, the day after her visit to Razorback's cave. “Here's your five pounds of sukere,” she said, handing Sir Chester a sack as she took the chair he offered. “This makes you the first person in Niarg to actually buy some of our sukere, which is most fitting since you appear to be Niarg's man of the hour, this morning.”

  “And how is that, this early in the day?” he said as he tramped about the clutter of saddles and tack and pieces of armor in the small room.

  “I just came from the Silver Dragon,” she said as she followed his movements. “I was going to have some breakfast, but there was quite a crowd. And I was shocked to see two of my father's very own hired hands there, all worked up about how a dragon burnt his orchard and fields, yesterday evening. The people in the crowd were afraid that the dragon might set alight other places, too. They're all convinced that you'd be the one to kill him if he comes back.”

  Sir Chester stopped pacing and looked at her. “Yea,” he said. “I just now got word.” He took a deep tense breath as he ran his hand back over his head “So. How much do you want for it?”

  “This is something of a milestone for us. Besides, you're a public figure. There's absolutely no charge. Be glad you've got some before the lying Elves make it illegal.”

  “Lying Elves?”

  “Absolutely. You saw the broadsheet, right? It was their lies, every bit of it.”

  “Why would they do something like that? Old King Henry used to think Elves were above reproach.”

  “Sukere's better than their honey. They're just out for themselves. They doctored him with their honey and he's dead, isn't he?”

  “Well I simply love sukere,” he said as he took a seat in front of her, “but I can't believe that they did anything foul to King Henry. Oh! I'm sorry, but I clean forgot to offer you any tea. Would you honor me by having a cup with me?”

  “I'd love that, but I have a very busy afternoon ahead,” she said with a warm smile.

  “You have your sukere and I need to be on my way.”

  Ugleeuh went straight to Razzmorten's tower.

  “Leeuh!” said Razzmorten with a look of relief, the moment she stepped inside. “I've been searching all over for you.”

  “I said supper. This is 'way ahead of that.”

  “With all of the excitement over the fire at Peach Knob, I was afraid you might have gone there.”

  “I can take care of myself.”

  “Certainly, but I'd allow that you knew that the dragon was your Uncle Razzorbauch,” he said as he watched her toss her gloves onto the tea table before having a seat in front of it.

  “I hope you don't think I had anything to do with it,” she said as she smoothed her dress. “I'm no Minny-Min, but I love you and Peach Knob and Niarg, and I honestly knew nothing about any of this. I would have told you. I'd have told Minny-Min. He's awful. I loved our peaches. And I don't see how he ever expects people to want sukere after this. He's just thrown away all my hard work for him.”

  “So! Just keep me in the dark about your plans for setting fires because you don't trust me, will you Uncle Razzorbauch?,” she thought. “You really owe me now.”

  Razzmorten looked up at the sound of her sniffle to see her eyes brimming with tears. He took a deep wide-eyed breath. “If all of that's true, Leeuh, then you can undo some of Razzorbauch's damage by helping me keep him from doing more.”

  “I'll do anything you need to help,” she said as she daubed at her eyes.

  Razzmorten sat beside her and took up her hand. “I need you to go to Razzorbauch and tell him that I need to meet with him. I have an offer from the crown that I'm sure he'll find most acceptable.”

  “You really do owe me now, Uncle Razzorbauch,” she thought.

  “Leeuh?” said Razzmorten.

  “Sorry, Father, I'm exhausted from running all over Niarg for days and days. What were you were saying?”

  “Will you do it? Will you go to Razzorbauch with my message and arrange a meeting with him for me?”

  “Of course. When would you like for me to go, and when would you like to meet with him?

  “Well, as tired you are, how about noon tomorrow? And have him meet me at noon the next day?”

  “Noon and noon it is,” she said.

  And Razzmorten wondered for a moment if this stranger was indeed his daughter.

  Chapter 22

  At the very moment that the great bell in Argentowre struck twelve, Ugleeuh vanished from Razzmorten's open window where she had been standing with her scrying ball and dainty staff. Razzmorten went to the window and stared out over the countryside. Not too far away, the blacksmith hammered on something large. One of Minuet's wethers bleated as it ran, trying to find the rest of the sheep which had just been turned into the rose garden. “Leeuh, Leeuh,” he said. “All of the hours and years of dismaying trouble you were, convincing me at last that you had utterly no conscience at all.” He turned away from the window and hung the teakettle on the crane in the fireplace, found a plate and buttered a biscuit. “Just what am I to make of your good behavior?”

  He opened a kettle with a cold joint of mutton, which had Fifi's attention at once. “So where is she?” He tossed a string of meat to Fifi, and took the kettle to the board. He ate his bread and the meat off the joint. By the time he gave the bone to Fifi, the teakettle was boiling furiously. He found the teapot and lid and stopped short.

  “Leeuh!” he said as she appeared on the far side of the board. “I was beginning to worry.”

  “What for?” she said with an amused look. He gave her a quick squeeze.

  “And what's that for?” she said.

  He shook his head.

  She looked dumbfounded for a moment. “Well,” she said, “It's all arranged. Uncle Razzorbauch will meet you at Peach Knob at noon tomorrow. He said that he'll kill the next hired hand who sticks him with an arrow.”

  “Oh my,” he said. “Say. Are you going to be here for supper?”

  “I hadn't thought about it.”

  “Tell me what you'd like. I want to fix you something special. Will you be here?”

  “Cherry cobbler,” she said, “except, will you consider using two pans? Make one with honey for you, if you're still afraid of sukere, and let me put sukere in the other one. Please?”

  Razzmorten hesitated. “Oh, I'll most certainly make mine with honey,” he said. Ugleeuh gave a bounce and kissed him on the cheek.

  ***

  Noon the next day was a very long time coming for Razzmorten. At last, the time arrived for him to lean his staff against his shoulder and stare into his scrying ball.

  “Do you want me to come with you?” said Ugleeuh.

  “No need. I expect I'll be back directly.”

  “And if you aren't?”

  “Then it'll all be up to Hebraun and Minuet to decide what happens next.” And with that, he vanished.

  “As you say, old fool,” she said when he was gone. “And I can't wait to see how all this turns out.”

  Razzmorten appeared on the edge of the orchard, glanced about briefly and hurried into the house, where all of the hired help were sitting down to dinner. “There's going to be some exciteme
nt outside in a moment, and I want you all to stay inside no matter what... Oh my, peas and baby taters,” he said, snapping up a steaming potato and popping it into his mouth. “ I'll be back in, the moment it's over.” And with that, he dashed back outside. Just beyond the corner of the summer kitchen, he saw Razorback appear amidst the smoldering stumps of the peach trees.

  Razorback saw him at once. “Had you not meddled with my business, dear brother,” he said with a smoky rumble, “you'd have had a fine crop of peaches and apples this year.”

  “And now you'll never taste a single peach,” said Razzmorten.

  Razorback threw back his head and laughed. “Still worried about everyone's moral choices, I see,” he thundered. “So you hope to talk me out of burning more of Niarg's crops, aye?”

  “I would say there's not much point of going to the trouble, now.”

  “What's wrong brother?” he said with a toothy grin of glee. “Have the good citizens of Niarg already developed a taste for sukere?”

  With no warning at all, Razzmorten leveled his staff, making Razorback throb with a blinding white aura.

  Razorback reared up with a wave of his arms, throwing off the aura and flinging Razzmorten's staff end over end, far out into the fields. “Idiot!” he roared. “You think I wasn't ready for that? You can't change me back, and you can't keep sukere out of Niarg!” And with a mighty roar of laughter that echoed from bluffs above, he vanished, leaving a smell in the air like red-hot iron.

  “Oh he fell for it, he fell for it,” said Razzmorten as he picked up his hat from the weeds and started out across the scorched hayfield to find his staff.

  “Wasn't that the very demon that set us alight?” said Nudd the moment Razzmorten came through the kitchen door.

  “Yeap. And I can't imagine he'll bother us for a week or two,” he said, holding up his hands. “Now there's no way I can answer questions, but I'll be back in a couple of days.” He went to the board, grabbed up a couple more potatoes and stepped outside.

  Beyond the first barn, he took out his scrying ball and was gone.

  He found Ugleeuh napping in a chair when he appeared in his tower. “I'm back,” he said, giving her shoulder a gentle shake.

  “Good,” she said, sitting up at once. “You're alive. Is Uncle Razzorbauch?”

  “Quite. As Razorback. The only thing I did was buy time until Niarg decides.”

  “And if they decide to forbid sukere?”

  “Then I expect his dragons will be burning the whole countryside with him.”

  “What about Sir Chester? Isn't he supposed to slay Razorback?”

  “That's what they say,” he said as he took a chair across from her, “but why don't we wait until Niarg makes its decision to worry about it?”

  Ugleeuh yawned and stood up. “Well, I reckon you'll be going to see Hebraun and Minny-Min,” she said as she picked up her satchel, “so I'd better go convince everyone in town to choose sukere on the big day so Razorback won't have to burn anything.”

  ***

  On Midsummer's Day (which was still called Canol Haf), the people of Niarg began crowding into the outer ward of the castle with their longbows and swords the moment the portcullis was raised. Before long, the outer ward was quite full and a huge crowd began gathering outside the front gate and soon backed up into the streets of the town. Many brought wives and older children with them, but in spite of it being the longest day of the year, and therefore a customary day of celebration, they idled about in respectful quiet, visiting and waiting for the great bell of Argentowre to strike ten. They were taking their having a say in the governing of the Kingdom of Niarg very seriously.

  “That's some gathering,” said Minuet as she turned away from where she had been peeping out of the drapes of the throne room. “It looks like it must be every single person within riding distance.” She came and sat beside Hebraun in her great chair. “This surely will go well. Father says that Leeuh has been having very little luck, ever since the broadsheets went out. But you know what? According to him, she's still being a good sport about it all. I never thought I'd see it. She may be on the wrong side of things over this, but I'm proud of her... Say. What would happen if Razorback shows up?”

  “We're all here and armed,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze. “I can't imagine him doing it. His game is to burn things where there aren't very many people about.”

  “Here comes Karlton,” she said.

  Captain Strong strode in quickly and bowed. “It's right neigh ten bell,” he said. “Everything's ready, including the tally takers.”

  “Where are we going to be?” said Minuet.

  “Oh, there's no choice with this big crowd,” said Captain Strong. “You're going to be up on the wall walk of the outer curtain by the front gate so they can see you from the streets as well as from the outer ward.”

  “Are you going to be up there with us, Father?” said Minuet as Razzmorten came quietly up behind Captain Strong.”

  “I just talked Leeuh out of going up there with you, so I'm staying down in the outer ward with her.”

  “Listen!” said Minuet as she reached for Hebraun's arm. “There's Argentowre.”

  They started at once down the long green carpet for the door.

  Shouts stirred through the crowd outside until a hush fell over them with the sounding of the great contrabass serpent horn up on the wall walk, which bellowed on deeply without letup until Hebraun and Minuet reached the stair of the outer curtain and began to climb. The moment they reached the wall walk, the crowd became a roaring sea of cheers that was soon was chanting: “He-braun...! He-braun...! He-braun...! He-braun...!” as they thrust their bows and swords at the sky in time.

  Hebraun raised his arms and the crowd fell silent. “Citizens of Niarg!” he cried. “We have called you here for your wise consent. The crown needs your judgment. Something new walks amongst us, a granular powder so sweet and beguiling and so very powerful that we need you all to decide just what the law of the land is to be in its regard. “You all have seen the broadsheet about sukere. Sukere is that sweet granular powder. It is said to be sweeter and better tasting than even honey. In fact, once you begin eating it, you never want to be without it again. In fact, you become anxious and frantic if you ever have to do without it. Very soon you discover that you can't do without it, and you spend the remainder of your short life, willing to pay anything you must, in order to keep a supply for yourself. And as the years go by, your teeth rot, your bones break, your breath grows rotten and your skin furrowed, sallow and wrinkled.

  “Across the great Orrin Ocean to the eastern half of the Eastern Continent lies the once great land of Gwael. And great it once was, until the sukere trade began...”

  “Spreading it on a bit thick, aye what?” said Ugleeuh quietly as she found Razzmorten in the crowd.

  “I was just looking for you,” he said as his eyes darted over her face for the signs of anger or resentment which seemed not to be there. “Thick? Oh, he wants to make sure they know what they're getting into if they should commence trading sukere here.”

  Ugleeuh was not listening. She was staring at Hebraun who still looked impossibly attractive to her. “You'll pay for stealing him, Minny-Min,” she thought. “And so will you, King Hebraun. You two owe me big!” She smoothed the turmoil from her face and turned back to Razzmorten. “He's the most popular king Niarg's ever had,” she said. “Look at the hold he has on those people. It just seems unfair that he doesn't give both sides.”

  “Now did you give both sides when you went all over Niarg arguing that the sukere trade should be allowed?”

  “That's entirely different.”

  “Oh?”

  “He's supposed to give both sides,” she said as she slipped her arm through his. “I'm selling sukere. I don't have to. But you want to know what really bothers me? I just hope that when they forbid the sukere, Sir Chester really can slay Razorback.”

  “I would never have guessed that you'd ever
say that, Leeuh.”

  “Yea? Well me neither, but think of the destruction if Sir Chester fails. And in spite of what people might guess, I love Niarg and I don't want to see its crops burnt and people starve...”

  Razzmorten patted her on the arm and pointed at Hebraun.

  “All those in favor of allowing sukere into Niarg raise arms!” cried Hebraun.

  An uncertain sword or two and perhaps a score of longbows were raised throughout the great multitude.

  A look of fury flickered across Ugleeuh's face to be caught by an accidental glimpse from Captain Strong, but was altogether gone when Razzmorten turned to see how she was taking matters.

  “All those who would have the law of the land forbid sukere raise arms!” cried Hebraun.

  With a roar that swept through the great hoard like a gale, virtually every one of the sabres, claymores, longbows and pikes shot to the sky, as the cries became a chant: “No...! No...! No...! No...!” that went on for a very long time.

  Razzmorten was surprised to see Ugleeuh smiling as she tried to get his attention over the chanting.

  “Farce!” she hollered. “Hungry! I said: tower! I'm going to fix us dinner!” And with that she vanished into the crowd.

  A good while later, after the crowd began to disperse, Razzmorten climbed the steps of his tower to discover when he opened the door that Ugleeuh was indeed fixing dinner. “It smells wonderful!” he called out.

  “Thank you, Father,” she said, stumping up to the board with a steaming kettle. “It's ready. Come see what you think of my lamb stew and barley muffins.”

  “This is indeed a wonderful surprise, dear,” he said as he sat down to his bowl of stew and took a bite of the piping hot bread. “I never knew what an accomplished cook you were.”

  “It's the least I could do after running off and leaving you alone over and over, the past few weeks,” she said. “Now, did anything happen after I came up here? A recount, maybe?”

  “You're not serious.”

  “Not that I'll admit. So they didn't change their minds, aye?”

  “Well, we're expecting pigeons in from places like Ashmore, over the next four or five days, but don't get your hopes up.” He set down his spoon and looked at her. “You know, I'm impressed with how you're handling this, Leeuh. You'd have been impossible to live with, back home.”