Stonecutter's Shadow: A young mage's fight through a fantasy kingdom full of treachery

by James Haddock

  * * *

  The Iron Woods were a few days travel and I assumed the abbey would be easy to find. I fell back into my old routine of travel. There were few people on this road, and the farther I got away from Dame's Ford the fewer I saw. When I made camp, it was in a Shadow. Then I practiced what Churn had taught me. After I ate, I read my mage book, and enjoyed a pot of hot tea.

  The next day I was up early, having slept better than the night before. My breakfast was meat, bread, and hot tea. With the sun up we were on our way. I needed to start practicing with my bow, thinking that being able to take game would be better than a steady diet of dried meat. Although I could take small game using Shadow Meld, but larger game would be dangerous unless I had a spear.

  On the second day I arrived at Iron Woods, a small village at a crossroads. I bought some bread at the bakers, “can you tell me where I might find the abbey?”

  “Left out the door, half mile outside the village,” she answered. nodding, I left the bakery. I finished the bread, mounted, and headed in that direction. I stopped short of the abbey and made camp thinking that I needed to scout the situation rather than just riding in and asking for Gilbert. I had no idea what he looked like, so I decided to search for the prince, and assume Gilbert would be with him.

  Later in the afternoon, when shadows were longer, I walked through the woods to the abbey. I stayed in Shadows, why take chances when you didn't have to? The area was larger than I thought it would be. It was surrounded by gardens and fields that fed the abbey, and the main complex was walled.

  The gates were open, so I moved inside the complex, Flowing under the door into the main hall. Monks were going about their business, whatever that was. I looked in rooms with open doors and went under doors that were closed. The only people inside the complex were the monks.

  I searched the outbuildings, and the stable. I found no sign that anyone but the monks were here. I went up a Shadow into the loft and sat down. I could see most of the abbey from here. “If I were a prince on the run, and hiding out where would I hide?” I asked myself. I let my eyes wander the grounds.

  I wondered how many people knew about this place, and about the possibility that the prince might hide here. I would trust few, if any, and would change my hiding place after a few days. I would not stay in the abbey but stay close to see if anyone come looking for me.

  If that were the case, I'd need to visit the monks and ask for Gilbert. If that didn’t work, at least I had tried, and I could get on with my life.

  I went back to my camp; deciding to visit the abbey in the morning. As I sat drinking my tea, I tried to imagine all the things that could happen once I was at the abbey. If they had a part in hiding the prince, they'd have to keep me there until Gilbert could be called.

  But, if they were against the prince, they'll want to know what I know, so would try to take me captive, until they had the information.

  Either way, I thought, I couldn’t risk taking my valuables, especially the king's ring, with me. I'd have to leave all of that here in my camp, taking only a few coins, and my weapons. I'd leave my bow here along with my mage book.

  I decided to sleep on it and see if I felt the same in the morning.

  Chapter 4

  After breakfast I left all my valuables at my Shadow camp and rode to the abbey. The main gates were open, so I rode into the courtyard. A monk came out to greet me. “Good morning,” he said.

  “Good morning, brother,” I replied. “I am looking for a man named Gilbert.”

  He shook his head, “there’s no one here by that name.”

  “Perhaps he has already left?” I asked.

  “As far as I know no one by that name has been here. Would you like to speak to the Abbot? He may have information I don't.”

  “Thank you,” I said, dismounting. I was show inside and taken to the dining hall.

  “The Abbot will be with you shortly,” my escort said.

  I nodded and sat down. in a few moments the Abbot arrived. “Welcome brother,” he said. “You are seeking Gilbert?”

  “I am, I was told he was a weapons master. I seek training, they say that he sometimes visits here.”

  “He is a weapons master, but it has been some time since he has visited.”

  “I see. Is there another weapons master in the area, someone who I can train with?”

  “I'm sorry, not that I know of.”

  I nodded, “I'm sorry I bother you; I'll be on my way.” I was shown out and back to the courtyard. No one tried to stop me or offer to let me stay. I mounted and rode out. I turned off the road into the Shadow that was my camp and waited. I was expecting a messenger to come by, but no one did. I finally dismounted and put the kettle on to boil.

  Well, I tried, I thought. I deciding to wait until morning, after that I have a life to get on with.

  * * *

  I packed up my camp and returned to the village. I decided I'd eat breakfast at the inn before moving on. I really had not decided on what I would do, or where I would go from here. I took a table out of the way against a wall. There were only a few people here, but I sat where I could see them. A serving girl came to take my order.

  “What will you have?”

  “A couple of boiled eggs, porridge, and hot tea.” I said. She nodded and left to fill my order. When she brought my food, I noticed the owner, who I guessed was her father, watching.

  “Thank you,” I said paying her. Once he saw I had paid, he went about his business.

  The food was good, and the tea hot. It was better than I would have made. Once finished eating I sat drinking my tea, pondering my next move. I could always go back to train under Churn for a time. The door opened and a man stepped, closing the door behind him. He scanned the people in the room, his glance barely hesitating on me. He took a table on the opposite wall, so he could see the whole room.

  His clothes were well made, but not showy. He also wore well-made boots and carried quality weapons. He was out of place here; this might be Gilbert. Without being too obvious he had taken my measure as well. He rose and came to my table. “May I join you.”

  I pointed to a chair, which put his back to the room. “Of course, perhaps we can share travel conditions.”

  He nodded but took the other chair so he could still see most of the room. “Perhaps, which direction were you coming from?”

  “The east, heading west,” I said.

  “Not much to the east.”

  I smiled, “true, I worked the rock quarry at the cliffs. Got tired of it. Did you come in from the west?”

  He shook his head, “South. I heard that there was a young man looking for a weapons master to train under. I thought I might offer my services.”

  “And you thought I might be that man?”

  “You fit the description I was given at the abbey as I passed through.”

  “May I offer you a cup of tea, master...?”

  “Gilbert, and yes, tea would be nice.”

  “No problem, I'll deliver the message and be on my way,” I thought. I wave to the serving girl and ordered more tea.

  “What will you do in the west master...?”

  “Drone,” I answered. “I'm not sure yet, I just know I'm tired of quarry work.”

  He nodded, “You interested in becoming a soldier?”

  “Based on your questions, you must be a weapons master.”

  “It's a living. I sometime make extra coin as a guard for merchants or travelers,” he said watching me.

  More tea arrived, we waited for the server to leave. The front door open and four soldiers came in. It was obvious they were looking for someone. “Friends of yours?” Gilbert asked.

  “Nope, and they don't look too friendly.”

  “No, they do not.”

  When they saw us, they came straight to our table, taking a closer look. “We're looking for two men.” the leader said.

  “Oh? Well, my son and I are looking to hire on to a company. But we thought we'd
have to go farther west before we found one.”

  The leader frowned, “No, we're not hiring men, we are looking for two men who escaped the king's justice.”

  “So, we'll have to go farther east then? Good I want to see the ocean,” I said.

  “Not when you are emptying your stomach over the rail you won't,” Gilbert said, laughing. A couple of the soldiers chuckled.

  The leader shook his head, turned, and left with the other soldiers following. We went back to our tea.

  “I seems I have heard of you,” I said. “I met a former employer of yours. He said that if I should see you to give you a message.”

  His eyes turned cold, “what was the message?”

  I reached into my shoulder bag and took out the King's signet ring. keeping it concealed in my clasped hand, I glanced around the room moving my hand toward him. No one was paying any attention to us. I lay my hand flat with the ring under it. “He said to give you this and tell you ‘Broken spur'.”

  He covered the ring as I moved my hand. He glanced under his hand, then put the ring away. I took another swallow of my tea.

  He sat thinking, I waited. “When was the last time you saw him?”

  “A fortnight,” I answered. “I also have a package for your current employer.”

  He nodded, “come we'll talk more elsewhere.” He paid for the second tea, and we left the inn. We rode back toward the abbey, but past it taking trail that led behind the complex. We traveled a good way to what looked like a forester's cabin.

  “Boy!” Gilbert shouted. “We have company.” The door opened and Prince Aric stepped out, dressed like a forester. He appeared to be a few years older than me, maybe 18. “This is Drone, a messenger.” We went inside.

  When the door closed, “what news?” Aric asked. Gilbert held up his hand, stopping me from saying anything. He handed Aric the ring.

  “I'll see to the horses,” I said. Gilbert nodded. There was a lean-to at the side of the cabin. There was another horse there, I added ours to it. Once I had seen the horses unsaddled and fed, I went back inside. Gilbert and Aric were sitting at the table.

  “Come give me your report, soldier,” the prince said.

  I smiled and walked to the table. I took out the bag the king had made for himself in the vault and put it on the table. “From your father, who was killed trying to escape. I told him I would bring these things to you. I have fulfilled my promise. I am not your soldier. Good luck, you're going to need it.”

  The prince jumped to his feet, “you insolent pleb!” I felt the air change as he gathered his power.

  “You don't want to do that; I’ll have my blade at your throat before you finish your spell. You're not the first mage I've faced,” I retorted, thinking of my bully brothers.

  Gilbert had not moved, “Well, before you two bantam roosters kill each other, satisfy my curiosity, and tell me what happened. Aric looked at Gilbert, stopped gathering his power, and sat down. I took a seat as well.

  “A fortnight ago mercenaries hired by the king's half-brother, Lermont, stormed the mage quarter. Their orders were to put every mage to the sword. I alone from my house escaped, and as far as I saw may be the only one from the whole quarter.

  “I killed all the soldiers who killed my family and followed the mercenaries back to their barracks.” I told the rest of the story up to the point of the king’s death. I did leave out the part about my mage book, and what the king gave me for helping him.

  “What is your talent?” The prince asked.

  “Keeping secrets.” Gilbert closed his eyes, shaking his head.

  “I must know your talents if you are to serve me.”

  “Then we're good because I don't serve you. I am a free man, and before you say something else stupid, neither of us have a home or kingdom. All we have is people looking to kill us. You more than me. So, as I said, promise kept, good luck!” I stood to leave.

  “Where will you go?” Gilbert asked.

  I shrugged, “back to the coast, maybe take a ship to another land.”

  “Or maybe sell our location to get rich,” the prince said.

  “You're an idiot. If I were going to do that, I would have kept the contents of that bag, and you would have never known about me.” I stopped talking and looked to the door. Someone was standing in the Shadow of the cabin — I could feel him. “We have company.”

  “How many?” Gilbert said raising.

  “Probably the four we met at the inn,” I said drawing my knives, stepping closer to the wall. Gilbert drew his sword, and the prince drew his knife, gathering his power.

  The door burst open, and they rushed in. I dropped into Shadow and hamstrung the first one as he passed. He fell screaming grabbing his leg. The two closest behind him fell over him. Gilbert and Aric fell upon them stabbing them as they tried to get up. I hamstrung the last one, coming out of the Shadow. He dropped to his knees, and I held my knife to his throat. The fight was over, I pushed him to the floor, it was the leader we had spoken to at the inn.

  “I'm sure you'll want to question him,” I said.

  “Not really, I know who sent him, and I know what he wants.” Gilbert plunged his sword through his throat, killing him. “I bet he wishes he had hired us now,” Gilbert said.

  I smiled, “I'II check and see if there are any more.” As soon as I was out of their sight I went into Shadow. I found where they had left their horses and verified that there were only four. I looked around a bit more but found nothing. I led the four horses back to the cabin.

  Gilbert was watching from the doorway, “Only those four,” I said. He nodded and stepped back inside. I took the saddlebags from the horses inside and set them on the table. Aric was searching the bodies of the dead soldiers. “I'll take care of the horses.”

  I led the horses around the side of the cabin. There was not enough room in the lean-to. I watered them, then hobbled them outside so they could graze. The animals were good stock, but they had been pushed hard. They needed food, and rest. I look through the tools and found a pick and shovel. I found a likely place and started digging a grave.

  Before long Aric came out, carrying the first body. laying it down he returned to get the others. I continued to dig. When all four bodies there, Gilbert spelled me on the digging.

  Aric handed me a water bag, “Thanks,” I said, taking several swallows. Pointing with my chin at the dead, “find anything useful?”

  He shook his head, “not really, Gilbert said they were the same ones you met at the inn. They had some coin, and some jewelry, spoils probably. No written instructions, no messages.” He took the pick and got in the hole giving Gilbert a break. All four went in the same grave, which was probably better than they would have given us.

  We washed up before going back inside. Gilbert ladled stew into three bowls and put them on the table. We sat down and ate. I looked over the stack of armor, and weapons that were lying in the floor. In the center of the table lay what valuables they had been carrying.

  “I want to apologize for the way I acted,” Aric said. “I did not consider that you may have suffered losses as well. The only excuse I offer is I just found out in the same moment my father was dead, and I had lost a kingdom.”

  I nodded, “accepted. I, for myself, apologize for my harsh words. I sometimes speak before I think.” He nodded. We ate in silence for a while. I considered my circumstances. At the very least I had my share of the spoils, which gave me another horse. I still had the dilemma of where to go and what to do.

  I still needed training so I could hold what was mine. Having wealth did you no good if you could not defend it.

  “Options?” Aric asked Gilbert.

  He took a deep breath, considering. “We could cross the sea to your uncle. With his support, raise an army, then return to reclaim your throne. Or we could try to raise an army from those still loyal to your father, now hopefully to you. That will be harder, given the resources you have available.”

  “Yes, an
d Lermont has the treasury to pay his mercenaries,” Aric said.

  I looked up smiling. “What?” Gilbert asked.

  I shrugged, “Lermont's mercenaries are only paid to the end of the month. After that I imagine, they will begin leaving.”

  “You don't think Lermont will keep the mercenaries?”

  “He doesn't have the money to pay them. The king and I emptied the treasury vault before...” I looked at Aric, “before he was killed.”

  “How did you... wait, so Lamont has no treasury to draw on?” Gilbert asked.

  “Not one copper.”

  “Heads will roll,” Gilbert said. “He will lose over half his army.”

  “Maybe more than that. He can't pay the standing army or castle guards. It won't take long before they leave as well. They won't fight for free.” I said.

  “He'll levy the lords for gold and troops,” Aric said.

  “And that's how we raise your army and retake your throne,” Gilbert said.

  “Where is the gold now?” Asked Aric.

  “It's still in the vault, he just can't get to it.”

  They were both frowning. I put my cup is the shadow of my hand. Then slid the cup into the Shadow, it looked as if the cup disappeared. Gilbert felt where the cup had been, there was nothing there. I put my hand back over the table and brought the cup out of the Shadow. They stared at me. “One of the secrets I keep,” I said.

  “Lermont can't get to it?” I shook my head. “But we can?” Aric asked.

  I nodded, “once I'm back in the vault you'll have access to as much or little as you want.” I answered.

  “So, it's possible for you to go into the vault and bring some gold, or gems out?”

  I didn't want to say too much just yet. “If I can get back to the vault, yes.”

  “That changes things,” Gilbert said. Aric nodded. “With access to the treasury we could support an army and retake the throne.”

  “We need somewhere to go, to rally our troops,” Aric said.