Young William looked around the room and said with some sadness, “I’m pleased that you like it, but my father tells me our family library used to be ten times this size. Still, I suppose we were lucky to escape with any books at all when our keep in Darkwood Forest was taken. Why don’t the two of you have a look around, and I’ll get us some wine and cheese?”
Jefon said, “My lord, you don’t have to stay here and keep us company. Valihorn and I will be perfectly fine until we are summoned.”
William responded in good cheer, “Nonsense. My father would be displeased to know I left you unattended. Besides, it has been some time since I looked through the library myself.”
As William left the room and shut the door behind him, Valihorn let out a quick whoop of excitement and began looking at all the stacks. Chances were good the Shetley family had employed a wizard at some point in their thousand-year history; he hoped to find some of his notes or perhaps even his book of magic. He glanced over at Jefon in his haste and noticed that he seemed to be searching for something specific. “Jefon, what exactly are you looking for?”
Jefon did not look up from the stacks as he answered, “Austen and Lazarus remembered an old tome of Lord Shetley’s that mentioned an entrance to the Underworld. I know it’s a long shot, but I wanted to see if I could find it.” Then he looked at Valihorn with a smile on his face. “And I do love libraries.”
Valihorn sighed out loud. The search for a book of magic would have to wait. Finding a way into the Underworld was more important. Both companions began scanning the stacks for tomes on Shetley history. It did not take long to realize that half the library involved the Shetley family in some way. There were histories of towns that used to be under their control as well as ledgers that kept track of trade and commerce with other kingdoms. Of particular importance were the gold mines to the north of Dowden, including volume after volume of detailed and cumbersome tallies on the one resource that had kept the Shetleys in power for a millennium. It did not take long for both companions to pull out several books and sit down to begin the search.
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Being captain of a lord’s guard was everything Tristan had hoped it would be, but he couldn’t say he enjoyed the ceremonial part of his job. It wasn’t in his nature to discuss politics at formal dinners, and he didn’t care about the gossiping of the court. He tried to live by a code of honor and loyalty, but he noticed these were qualities he rarely saw in his recruits these days.
As the feast droned on, Tristan couldn’t believe all the attention he was getting. Evisar and Xander had been just as instrumental as he had been in the recent battle, but his companions seemed to go largely unnoticed.
After awhile, Tristan’s attention was brought back to the room as Lord Shetley’s voice echoed off the back wall. “Our heroes must grow tedious of this small talk. I know I am. Perhaps we could make things more interesting by having our heroes recount their heroic tale. I am most interested to know how a motley crew of two elves, two half-elves, and a human came to slay three giants, survive a dragon’s wrath, and gain the love of everyone in my town. Come, you must each tell me of your part in this historic event. Tell me how you saved my town of Wessex. Evisar, what was your part in this?”
Evisar seemed reluctant, but he started at the beginning and told how his brother had tracked the giants to their lair in Darkwood Forest. He talked of his battle to convince the town folk to aid in the defense of the walls, and then the shock and fear he felt as he saw the huge male giant running toward the town. When he was finished excited murmurs went up around the room.
Xander’s portion of the tale gave an entirely different perspective. He talked about the giant’s lair and rescuing Ellen and Faye. He talked about setting up the town’s defenses and then riding out to scout the giant’s lair. You could have heard a pin drop in the room as Xander described the fight between the dragon and the giants. Finally, Xander described killing the female giant and being chased by the male back to Wessex where the final battle took place.
The aides in the room became more and more interested with each person’s tale, whereas Lord Shetley seemed to become more and more irritated. Lord Shetley finally turned to Tristan and commanded him to tell his part of the story.
Tristan talked about leaving the Keep with the elves and ordering the siege equipment to Wessex. He recounted how they had nearly been killed by the female giant as she pounded up the tunnel, and then he talked about his decision to go with Valihorn in order to win the green dragon’s help.
Lord Shetley’s voice interjected harshly, “Why did you go to see the dragon, Captain? He is no friend of ours. Didn’t you think he would kill you?”
“I had very little hope that I would make it back alive, but there was no other way to destroy the giants. What other choice did we have? The dragon was the only real hope. There’s no doubt it was foolish, but that was my decision.” The guards and aides all nodded their heads in agreement.
“Then tell us of your glorious meeting with the dragon.”
Tristan recounted going down the river with Valihorn and finding the dragon’s lair. He talked of the fear he felt when he started coughing up blood because of the acidic air. Lord Shetley interjected again, continuing to egg him on, “You are very brave, Captain. A lesser man would surely have run in fear.”
Tristan described the treasure placed before them as a test and how that treasure, while the most magnificent he had ever seen, paled by far when compared to the enormous room that was the dragon’s lair. The guards around the room seemed awestruck as he told the three riddles they had been forced to answer and how a wrong step would have meant certain death. Everyone leaned in as Tristan described seeing the dragon for the first time and the conversation he and Valihorn had somehow managed to strike up with the beast.
“And you got the dragon to do your bidding? Extraordinary.”
“It was Valihorn who persuaded the dragon, my lord.”
“Don’t be so modest, Captain. You escorted Valihorn to the lair at risk to your life and answered the dragon’s riddle. You give yourself far too little credit.”
Tristan continued the tale. “Valihorn spoke the language of the dragon, and we presented a worthy gift. The dragon told us outright that we were entertaining, and he would only help us because the giants had settled inside his territory.”
Lord Shetley frowned. “And what else, Captain?”
“What do you mean my lord?”
“I mean what else did you promise the dragon?”
How could he have known? Tristan was reluctant to say, but his lord commanded it. “Valihorn and I each had to promise to do the dragon’s bidding on one occasion of his choosing in the future.”
“A very dangerous game, Captain, though I suppose you had no choice. You may have sacrificed your future for the safety of Wessex. Tell me, will you keep your word to this dragon?”
“I always try to keep my word, my lord.”
“And what of your oath to me, Captain?”
“My oath to you is my word, my lord, and as I said, I always try to keep my word.”
“You try to keep your word.” Lord Shetley put a slight emphasis on the word try. “That is an interesting response, Captain. Please continue.”
Tristan went on to tell how the dragon transported them back to Wessex, how the giant had jumped over the pit in the final battle, and how Austen had turned the tide by throwing the giant into the pit.
When Tristan finally stopped talking, there was nothing but silence in the room; everyone wanted him to say more. After a moment everyone seemed to snap out of the trance and Lord Shetley eventually broke the silence. “Everyone in this room owes you a great debt, Tristan. You have saved my town and should be rewarded accordingly. I’m grateful you shared your tale with me so openly. Now, I believe the roast pig is about to be served. If everyone could please leave my residence and get back to their duties, I wish to speak to the companions alone.”
Th
e guards and aides were still awe struck as they got up numbly from their seats and left. As the hall door closed, Lord Shetley continued, “I hate to say thank you in front of my men; it makes me look weak. After the pig is served and the banquet is underway there will be no time for rewards, as I’m sure the rest of my Keep will want to meet the heroes.”
Evisar broke the rhythm by speaking up. “We are not heroes, my lord. We were simply honor bound to complete the quest in order to pay our debts.”
Lord Shetley looked at Evisar with understanding. “It seems we are all slaves to circumstance. It seems we all have debts to pay and appearances to keep. Now, if you will excuse me, I will go to my chambers and get your reward.” Lord Shetley stood up, bowed his head slightly, turned, and went to the north door leading to his bed chambers.
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By the time William came back to the library, Valihorn and Jefon were already engrossed in their reading. William made some polite conversation with Valihorn, but then he respected the silence and sat down at a different table with a book of his own. The servants William had requested brought wine, bread, and cheese to eat. Valihorn nibbled on some cheese and sipped some wine, while Jefon hardly looked up from his books.
Valihorn eventually looked up and realized that he had skimmed through five or six books, including “The Noble Deeds of the Shetley Family,” “The Shetley’s Dedication to Sentinel,” and “The Shetley Lineage” without learning a thing. It was impossible to know if he was missing anything important, as it would take years to read through the library with any sort of thoroughness. Two books later, Valihorn stumbled upon a manuscript written by a Shetley family scribe one hundred fifty years before. Mostly the book recorded the goings on in the Shetley court. Who came to call? What business was transacted? What were the crop yields for that year? Most of it was mundane, but every now and then the page would describe the hardships of the kingdom. The gold mines to the north were running out and the Lord Shetley of the time was beginning to lose his kingdom. The pages described a servant who was becoming more and more concerned about the future as his lord’s behavior became more and more erratic. Valihorn continued to read and found another portion that had some promise.
“I grow ever more worried. My Lord Shetley has become obsessed with the Underworld. He is ignoring his subjects while obsessing over the land below. The gold mines to the north have completely given out, Dowden is on the verge of rebellion, and the green dragon will be most displeased if we are unable to pay our annual tribute. My Lord Shetley is convinced great treasure lies below the ground, but how he came to this conclusion and why he decided to dig inside the Keep are mysteries to me. He has ordered the dwarves to continue digging day and night. If we don’t find something of interest soon I fear it will not matter. These are troubling times, but there is nothing I can do but obey. I must have faith in my lord and trust in his wisdom.” The scribe then went on to talk about the crop yields for the year and some problem between the heir to be and his betrothed.
“Jefon, look at this page. This may be what we are looking for.” Valihorn passed Jefon the book across the table and pointed to where the passage began. William looked up from his book with questions in his eyes, but said nothing. Jefon thoroughly read the page and then closed the book to look at its cover. “This is perfect, Valihorn; exactly what we needed.”
William could not hold his tongue any longer. “What did you find?”
Jefon looked at William across the room and said, “My brother and I have been searching for an entrance ...”
Valihorn turned toward Jefon as he stopped talking in mid-sentence. Jefon sat in his chair with a blank look and did not even blink as Valihorn waved a hand in front of his face. “Jefon, are you alright?” After a few moments, Valihorn reached across the table and shook Jefon’s arm. The arm moved with Valihorn’s urging, but Jefon didn’t snap out of his trance.
William said, “Do you know what’s going on?”
“No.” Panic began to set in. Valihorn did not know what to do. He jolted up from his seat. At the same time, Jefon shook his head and seemed to become aware of what was going on around the room once again.
Before anyone could say anything, Jefon said, “My brother is in danger. I have to leave, now!”
William rose from his seat and walked over to Jefon with a look of concern. “Jefon, what are you talking about? Nothing is going to happen to ...” As William approached Jefon, Valihorn was stunned when Jefon’s fist shot up and hit the young Shetley in the face, throwing him unconscious to the floor.
Valihorn yelled at Jefon, “What are you doing? Are you trying to get us all killed?”
Jefon knelt down by William’s limp form and took the dagger from his belt. “Lord Shetley is going to attack and kill our friends.” Once he found the dagger, he got up and turned to Valihorn and said, “Let’s go.”
Jefon walked quickly to the door without looking back while Valihorn struggled to try and comprehend what had happened. He was utterly bewildered, but he also knew he trusted Jefon. With his mind made up, Valihorn ran to catch his friend.
As the two companions ran down the stairwell to the courtyard, Valihorn asked, “How do you know Lord Shetley is going to kill our friends?”
Jefon responded quickly, “I don’t know how I know, I just know it’s going to happen soon, or may have happened already.”
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Lord Shetley left the hall and shut the door to his private chambers behind him. As soon as he was out of earshot, Xander spoke up. “I’m not an expert on victory banquets, but this seems damn odd to me. Am I the only one who thinks so?” No one said anything, but Tristan could see the agreement on Evisar’s face.
Evisar spoke up, saying, “He seemed particularly interested in you, Tristan. He recognized your contribution and yet he mocked you at the same time.”
Tristan felt a tension in the back of his mind that he didn’t understand until slowly the truth came to him as he thought about Lord Shetley’s paranoia. He thought about the look on his lord’s face every time a guardsman shook his hand and how he had mocked his retelling of the battle. Then he had sent his heir away with Jefon and Valihorn to the library as well as sending the rest of his servants back to work.
Before Tristan could tell the others, they all received their answer as the door to Lord Shetley’s chamber and the door to the outer hall flew open simultaneously.
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Jefon and Valihorn ran through the courtyard toward the Shetley residence. Valihorn could not keep up with Jefon’s sprint. As he began to pull away, Valihorn yelled out, “Should you not at least get your weapons? You will not be much good without them.”
“They’re on the other side of the Keep, and there’s no time.” Valihorn watched as Jefon reached the steps to the lord’s residence and suddenly stopped. As Valihorn ran up to him, he could see that their prayers had been answered. At the base of the steps were a number of bows and long swords, arranged meticulously for Lord Shetley’s soldiers to use in the courtyard. Jefon had wonder in his eyes as he bent down to pick up a bow and a quiver of arrows. Valihorn did not recall seeing practice weapons outside the residence when they walked to the library, but they would have been easy to overlook. Armed with arrows and Valihorn’s spells, the pair bounded up the stairs.
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Tristan’s heart skipped a beat when five archers came through the door to the hall and four swordsmen emerged from Lord Shetley’s bed chamber. Every one of them was wearing leather or chain mail armor, and the swordsmen had shields. Lord Shetley came into the dining room from his bedroom chamber with a fifth swordsman who wore a steel breastplate and had a rapier in each hand. Lord Shetley had a smug look of victory on his face as he entered the room dressed in chain shirt armor wearing his family sword. Out of reflex Tristan, Evisar, and Xander all rose from their seats and backed away from the two doors
toward the far corner.
Tristan scanned the room for some sign of hope, but his heart sank further as he realized the perfection of Lord Shetley’s ambush. The room was a huge rectangle with a large rectangular table in the middle with a good ten feet on all sides between the table and the stone walls. The far wall had the door leading out into the hall while the door to Tristan’s left led to Lord Shetley’s bed chamber. The other two walls contained nothing except one fireplace on each wall. There was nowhere to go and nowhere to hide.
Tristan quickly threw Evisar his dagger and drew his sword. Lord Shetley smiled at this and said, “Captain Tristan, there’s no need to draw your weapons. I promise to make this quick.”
Tristan responded, “My Lord Shetley, why are you doing this?”
The smile left Lord Shetley’s face as he answered, “You thought you could take my kingdom from me. You thought to replace me, but now you know that will not happen.”
The final piece fell into place in Tristan’s mind. Lord Shetley was afraid he was planning to take his place as lord, and his recent accomplishments in Wessex had only endeared him more to his subjects. Tristan couldn’t believe it had come to this. “My lord, what are you talking about? I am sworn to your service.”
“Oaths don’t mean anything anymore.” Lord Shetley glanced at the swordsman with the breastplate and said, “My new friends have told me what your true intentions are.” He jabbed his finger at Tristan and then at Evisar from across the room. “You all seek to replace me. I can see it in your eyes. My people want you for their lord, but I will not have it.” He threw his arms in the air and gestured about the room. “This Keep and these lands are nothing. My family used to own it all. We were robbed of our lands, and I will not let you take what is left from me.”
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Evisar stepped forward with steel in his voice. “Spare us your pitiful sob stories. Did you see your father killed before your eyes? Were you exiled from your home by your best friend for no reason, with no one to depend on but your younger brother?” Evisar let the silence hang for a moment before he finished. “I thought not. Let’s get this over with.”
Do the Gods Despise Us? Page 6
