“That is all I can find that isn’t ruined,” she whispered.
“Lady Mellody, come away,” Matron Jeannette said as she put her arm around Mellody’s shoulders. “You shouldn’t have seen this.”
“Yes, Jean, I should. Now I understand why Drake is so angry.” She turned and looked down the road her husband had ridden away on. “He’ll deal with the beasts that did this.”
“And well he should, but you shouldn’t,” Jean murmured with her mouth brushing Mellody’s hair.
Mellody chuckled. “I’m not that fragile, Jean.”
Jeannette shook her head as they headed back through town. The men had returned with firewood and had set their camp just outside the town marker.
It was late in the day when movement on the road drew their attention. Mellody immediately shielded everyone, but it was unnecessary. Two farmers rode oxen down the road with nothing more dangerous than hayforks in their hands.
The elder of the two shouted, “Who are you?” while they were still twenty paces away.
Elwin stepped forward and shouted, “Lady Mellody Carstairs, Lady of Carstairs, Chief Adept of the Army of Vernardia.” Both men stopped their oxen and dismounted. They walked forward slowly and stopped about six paces away.
“Lady Mel?” the younger one asked, looking at her curiously.
“Have we met?” Mellody asked as she stepped forward.
“Yes, Lady. I’m Arvin Coopersmith. I saw to your horse for two years with the army before I was sent to the Infantry.”
Mellody smiled broadly. “I remember you. You’ve filled out quite a bit since then.”
The young man ducked his head in embarrassment before saying, “Yes, Lady Mel. My wife is a good cook.”
The elder shook his head, then bowed. “Lady Mellody, I am Karel Coopersmith, Arvin’s father. We saw the fire four days ago, but we were afraid to come over until now.”
Mellody nodded. “Did you send word to the next town?”
Karel bowed. “Yes, Lady Mellody. The day after the attack we sent a rider to Castle Rock with the news. That’s the closest fort.”
“Very well,” Mellody said as she looked at them. “We are going to need food, for us as well as the few survivors.”
“Survivors?” Karel asked with sudden urgency as he stepped forward. “We didn’t think anyone had survived or we’d have been here right away. Who is it, Lady Mellody?”
Mellody glanced over her shoulder and Miss Cardin and her charges came forward. “Hello, Arvin. Hello Farmer Coopersmith.”
Karel looked at her and the children beside her and looked sad as his shoulders slumped. “I was hoping—it doesn’t matter.” He turned and whistled loudly three times.
Up the road, men came out of hiding and started walking toward them. Every man was armed, be it with scythe, hayfork, ax, or mattock. In moments, there were thirty of them coming toward Mellody’s party.
Karel stepped toward them and loudly said, “Our Lady Mellody Carstairs is here. There are survivors from the school!”
The men all ran forward, and so did the children. Cries of, “Grandpa!” and “Daddy!” mixed with the hoarse shouts of the men as a few prayers were granted and other hopes dashed. All the children were soon enfolded in the arms of their families. Even Miss Cardin was being hugged between a pair of men.
Mellody let them settle themselves down, and then addressed them again. “My people, we didn’t bring much in the way of food. I ask each of you to provide a day’s supply of food for two people. Once Drake returns—”
One of the men blurted, “Lord Drake is here?” as the rest went silent.
“Yes. He has gone after the beasts that did this. He’ll be returning alone. As I was saying, once Drake returns, we’ll be moving on. Until then, return to your farms. With Drake after them, I don’t think anyone needs to worry about those men.”
There was a moment of quiet talking among the men, and then Karel stepped forward and bowed. “Lady Mellody, we’ll see to everything you’ve asked for in the morning. We ask permission to camp with you tonight.”
Mellody nodded once. “Be welcome, my people.”
The men set up camp beside Mellody’s. It was a quiet night. Too many of the men had lost family members in the town allow for anything else. Morning saw most of the men heading home. Those who remained were ten burly young men led by Arvin.
Arvin walked up to Mellody and bowed. “Lady Mel, we’re staying to aid you in any way we can.”
Mellody smiled sadly as she replied, “Thank you, Arvin. The first thing we’re going to have to do is honor our dead. We don’t have enough men to dig that many graves, and I don’t think we’ll be able to identify very many of the victims.” She looked around and asked, “Where is the graveyard?”
Arvin bowed and answered, “Most folks get buried on their family’s farms, Lady Mel. Those that didn’t have family here are buried in a field over that way.” He pointed to the north.
Mellody nodded as she looked where he was pointing and said, “Lead us over there.” Arvin led the way with Mellody and her entire party behind him, followed by the rest of the men.
The field was a natural meadow, and Mellody nodded her approval. Without a word, she used magic to excavate a long, wide, deep ditch. Then she collapsed where she stood, like a puppet with cut strings.
Jeannette and Elwin collapsed right beside her, each seeking to hold her and lift her off the ground. All around them the maids and the farmers were frozen in shock as they stared at their lady.
Jean finally pushed Elwin back and commanded, “Make a litter!”
Elwin stepped back, his eyes on Mellody’s face, then turned toward the men. “We need two poles for a litter. I’m getting a blanket.” Without another word, he bolted toward their camp as fast as his legs would carry him.
The farmers had six good poles ready by the time Elwin returned. He’d brought two sturdy blankets, his and Luther’s, and a litter was quickly put together. Jeannette and the maids put Mellody’s unconscious body onto the litter, but it was Arvin and three other farmers who grasped the ends of the poles. Jeannette started to object, then shook her head and motioned them to go. She walked beside the litter, holding Mellody’s right hand while Elwin copied her on Mellody’s left side.
They had almost reached the camp when Mellody moaned. Jeannette said, “Don’t move, Lady Mel. We’re almost back to your tent.”
“Oh, my head!” Mellody whined.
“You overused your magic, Lady Mellody,” Jeannette scolded. “You haven’t done that since you were just a Journeyman.”
Mellody whispered, “Had to be done, Jean. Had to have a fitting grave for my people.”
Jeanette shook her head but didn’t say anything else. She led the way into Drake and Mellody’s tent and had the men set her down on her own pallet, then leave. She’d nursed Mellody through several other incidents when she’d overstressed her magic and ordered the maids to fix the vile but effective remedy.
Chapter 20
ELWIN STOOD OUTSIDE THE TENT LISTENING to Jean for a moment before turning toward the men and bowing slightly.
“We have a duty to perform for the fallen. These are your people, your families, but they are our people as well.”
Elwin led the way into town and to the first house. One of the men said, “This was Deveron’s house.”
Elwin nodded and carefully continued into the ruin until he found the remains. “Respectfully and gently, men. It looks like there were five of them.”
“Yes, sir,” Arvin whispered. “Deveron, his wife, and their three children.”
They gathered the remains carefully, making a rough box out of planks from the house, then moved on. They cleared six houses before Luther ran up to them.
“Master Valet Elwin, Matron Jean says to come back now and wash up. Some folks brought food for us and the men,” he said in a respectful manner.
Elwin replied, “Very well, Luther,” and led the way.
Th
e locals hadn’t just brought supplies; they’d brought full meals for everyone. Women were included in this group, and all the farmers went to their families.
The night was quiet. No one had any extra energy, and the horrors of the day had everyone in a somber mood.
Mellody was weak but functional the next morning. “Oh, blagh!” was the most articulate thing she managed to say until a cup of strong black tea had rinsed away at least part of her foolishness. Mellody sat with her aching head in her hands, trying not to move. “I know better than that.”
Jeannette sighed. “You do indeed, Lady Mel, but you’ve been under the influence of your husband for too long. He has the energy to do things like that without straining his power.”
Mellody chuckled, then winced. “Ow! Damn, I know better. Is there anything to eat?”
Jeannette nodded and slipped out of the tent. She returned just a moment later with a plate loaded with eggs, ham, and fried potatoes. “Here you are, Lady Mellody. Lots of meat and starches.”
“Where did this come from?” Mellody asked around her first bite.
“The farmers,” Jean answered. “The wife or mother of each of those men came late yesterday and fed all of us. Other families are delivering food, but the women are doing the cooking. That,” she nodded toward the already half-empty plate, “was prepared by three different women.”
Mellody nodded carefully and said, “Make sure I thank them. What has been going on besides that?”
Jeannette filled her in on what had happened after she’d collapsed. Mellody listened in silence, her eyes focused on the floor. “All of the men except Luther are back at it this morning.”
Mellody sighed, “So many deaths.”
“Yes, Lady Mellody, but not everyone died. Some of the houses are empty. There is hope that at least some of the people were able to flee with their lives, if little else.”
“I hope so, Jean.”
It took three days to clear the bodies out of the town. Elwin went to face Lady Mellody and reported what they had found. He never looked up from the ground as he said, “There were one hundred seventy-one bodies in the rubble, Lady Mellody. We’ve taken them to the burial plot and placed them in the grave, but we are waiting for you to say the rites before we fill it in.”
Mellody was blinking back tears at the death-toll and spoke in a tear-roughened voice as she said, “Let us honor our dead.” The entire party went to the grave and gathered beside it. Mellody stood quietly for a moment before beginning.
“In time, death comes to all creatures. Such is the eternal cycle of life. We honor here our lost brethren, taken before their time by the hand of men. Let their next lives be filled with joy, and their hearts with love.” Stepping back, she motioned toward the pile of dirt.
Everyone, Mellody included, took turns tossing shovels full of dirt into the grave. It took a long time, and Mellody stopped the farm women at sundown with instructions to fix a meal.
The sun had set and Sahrana, the larger moon, had risen before the grave was completely filled. Mellody silently led the way back to the camp. The burial had left everyone in a somber mood, and everyone went to bed early.
Morning brought everyone together to eat, and Mellody waited until they were through before informing them of her plans.
“My people, Carelwood is no more. I don’t think it should be rebuilt.” She held her hand up to forestall their reaction. “There will be a town, but not there. That land will be forever tainted by what was done to the people. I think building a new town on this side of the marker is our best option. When the troops from Castle Rock arrive, I will give them their instructions.”
Arvin walked forward and bowed. “Lady Mel, what of the rest of the town?”
Mellody looked back toward the ruins and shook her head. “Destroy it. Salvage anything you can from the ruins, drag any timbers into a pile for firewood, but leave the foundations until the stones can be hauled to the new town.”
The men exchanged looks, and then started following her orders. The draft horses from the carriage and wagon were employed to drag timbers to the pile. The men were not gentle. They had started at the far end of town, and were dragging everything they could away. By the time Drake returned there was little left of the original Carelwood.
Drake led his horses through the remains of the town to his wife. “What happened?” he asked, motioning back toward where the town was still being destroyed.
“We buried the remains of our people, and then I ordered the ruins of the town destroyed. A new town is going to be built on this side of the marker.” She smiled up at him. “It is going to cost us about three hundred crowns to help build everything.”
Drake looked around and then nodded. “We can afford that. I found the bandits two and a half days up the road. They were former Bresardian soldiers who had been sent out into our land to try and draw off General Preston. There is a General Markinson who is going to be facing charges when we catch him. I didn’t find out anything more than that.”
Mellody looked at the horses and tilted her head to the side. Drake smiled as he answered her unasked question. “They really were bandits, Mellody. They had stolen a lot from our people.”
Mellody shook her head in amazement. “You really just killed them?”
Drake shrugged. “I questioned them first, then turned the daemon loose on them.” He paused when she gave him a hard look. “Then I brought everything back here.”
Mellody sighed deeply. “Did they admit what they had done?”
“Not in so many words, but they did claim that no one who had seen them lived to tell about it. Not even the children—where are the children?” he suddenly asked, looking all around them.
“The day after you left a bunch of farmers showed up. The children went home to their extended families.”
Drake nodded as he looked around some more. “Are the men all locals?”
“Yes,” Mellody confirmed, “and the women in their camp are their wives or mothers. They’ve been taking good care of all of us.”
Drake nodded and turned toward the horses. “They stole a lot of supplies in addition to the people’s valuables. I could use a hand unloading.”
Mellody turned and spoke loudly, saying, “Arvin, we need someone to see to these horses and their loads.”
Arvin and four others came forward immediately and bowed. “At once, Lady Mellody.” They circled wide of Drake, then began unloading the horses and putting them in an improvised paddock.
Drake let Halsey take his horse, then sat down by the fire. Mellody joined him, cuddling close under his arm. Soon they were both enjoying cups of hot tea and a light snack.
Drake squeezed Mellody’s shoulders and said, “We’re going to be facing more of these men. General Markinson probably sent several different teams out to try and draw off our army.”
Mellody nodded against his shoulder. “We have support coming from Castle Rock soon. It’s only four days by horse from here. Once they arrive, we can use some of them to spread the warning.”
It took three additional days for the troops to arrive. A man rode into their camp and shouted, “You are under arrest by order of Captain Geran Vertalan!”
Drake and Mellody walked forward and it was Mellody who took the lead. “Stand down, corporal. How many troops did you bring with you?”
The corporal drew his sword and rode toward them. “I don’t take orders from looters and scavengers.”
Drake looked at the corporal and a low growl rumbled in his chest. The corporal’s horse went mad as soon as it heard the growl and smelled Drake. The corporal dropped his sword as he tried to control his horse, but it was a lost cause. In moments, the horse had shed its rider and was galloping as fast as it could back the way it had come while the corporal sat dumbfounded in the road.
Drake walked forward and loomed over the fool. “I am Lord Drake Carstairs, and the woman you just insulted is my wife, Lady Mellody Carstairs, Chief Adept of the Armies of Verna
rdia.”
The corporal looked up at Drake with an expression of pure terror on his face. Seeing no hope of forgiveness in the dreaded mage’s eyes, he crawled over to Mellody and put his forehead on the ground beside the toe of her boot. “Lady Mellody, I most humbly beg your pardon for my intemperate words.”
Mellody resisted the urge to laugh because Drake was standing behind the corporal with his foot raised like he was going to kick him in the butt. “Stand, Corporal,” she commanded as she shook her head at Drake. “Now answer my question: How many men are behind you?”
The corporal scrambled to his feet and bowed before replying, “Nine plus the captain, Lady Mellody. Half our men. We didn’t want to leave Castle Rock undefended.”
Mellody nodded her understanding. “That was a wise precaution, Corporal. How far behind you is your captain?”
The corporal swallowed hard, then almost whispered, “Just out of sight up the road. They are waiting for me to report.”
Drake shook his head, then pointed toward the horses. “Take one of those and go get your captain.”
The corporal bowed deeply and repeatedly to Drake and Mellody, then grabbed some tack and quickly rode off.
“You scared him half to death, Drake,” Mellody murmured softly so only he could hear her.
“Meant to,” he replied just as softly.
It wasn’t long before eleven men rode up to the camp and stopped. “Lady Mellody?” the officer asked.
“Yes, Captain?” Mellody asked as she stepped forward.
The captain looked at her, then dismounted and bowed. “Lady Mellody, what are you doing here?” he asked softly.
“We are making a tour of our lands to allow the nobles to swear to Drake, and to allow him to see his lands. Carelwood had been destroyed several days before we arrived.”
The captain looked around then asked, “Does anyone know which direction they went, Lady Mellody?”
The Chronicles of Amberdrake Page 17
