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

by James Haddock

  “He's right m'lord, keep them. He can disappear into a Shadow quicker than you can say 'don't do it!’.”

  We chuckled, “in that case; he said, “I shall keep them, thank you...again.”

  “So, what's our next step?” I asked.

  Karl stopped, and looked away, as if seeing a distant land. “As much as I don't like it, I'm afraid that going to seek my uncle's help is about the only choice I have. And that's not even a guaranteed outcome. My uncle may decide that his risk is not worth his reward.

  “Added to that, we are heading into winter, there will be no sea travel for six months. Then, if he agrees to help me, it will take a year to get back. So even under the best circumstances, it will be 18 to 24 months before we return. A lot can happen in that time.”

  I thought for a moment. “I see two choices. One, you go to your uncle for help, leaving me here to harass Lermont, keeping him weak until you return, with or without an army. Two, we both stay here while we raise an army to overthrow him.”

  They were looking at me, I shrugged, “We have access to gold in two vaults, that will buy an army, for a time at least. Lermont has no money, so he's keeping everyone in line through fear. That will only work so long, soldiers don't fight for free. The longer we keep him weak the better our chances are.

  “You must choose whether to go to your uncle or not. In either case, I think it’s time to leave here.”

  “You have given me a lot to consider,” Karl said. “Let's get some sleep.”

  * * *

  I left Karl alone, he’d need time to reach his own conclusions. I used the time to incorporate the assassin's equipment into my own. Their clothes had more pockets and places to carry items out of sight and still have ease of movement. I added the blow gun to my weapons. It fit in a long slim pocket on the left outside thigh. The dart wallet went in a shirt pocket.

  The pair of fighting sticks went in a long slim pocket down the right thigh. Multiple knives went in various places. I kept the leader’s hooded cloak, which also had extra pockets. Its material felt different, I wasn't sure, but thought it might have some kind of spell on it. Even wearing the backpack, the cloak covered me nicely.

  There were packets of unknown powders, and tools in the backpack, I'd have to learn their uses. I thumbed through the mage's spell book. Besides spells, there were also a lot of information on the powders, and poisons I had found in their equipment.

  I donned my new outfit, and equipment, including the backpack. Practicing my movements, I found no binding, but the new feel would take getting used to. I put on the cloak and practiced moving in it, which was not as easy as I thought it would be.

  “Hold on lad,” Cookie said. “You’re not shaking out laundry, you're dancing, and the cloak is your partner.” He donned a clock and joined me. “Now, watch and follow my steps, see how my arms flow, pushing and pulling as I move.” Karl donned a cloak and joined us.

  So began our training with Master Cookie… who was definitely more than a cook.

  After cape dancing for a while, we took a break. “Do you have enough equipment to make two more outfits like yours?” Karl asked.

  “I think so, yes.”

  “If you are short anything, make sure Karl has a complete set before making mine.” Cookie said.

  I nodded, and we began laying out equipment to build two more kits.

  “Cookie, do you remember that old keep down on the cape? What was it called?” Karl asked.

  “Aye, Split Rock keep. There’s a small village there, but the keep's been abandoned for years.”

  “Yes, I knew it was something-Rock. Why was it abandoned?”

  “At one time it guarded the southern shore, being the only place to land along that stretch of coast. But getting in and out of the cove was treacherous, with the currents, and rocks, and no ship of any size dare risk it. The crown finally decided it wasn’t worth the expense to keep it manned.”

  “Was it a defendable place?”

  “Oh, yes. The keep was built right into the cliffs. Good spring water, with the sea and forest for food. There's just nothing there, except the small fishing village, so it became more of a place of exile than a reward.”

  “That may be a good place to start gathering our army, while keeping Lermont busy chasing shadows,” he said looking at me smiling.

  “Could work,” I said. “The place will need some repairs, no doubt. But the locals will be glad to help, as long as we can pay.”

  “We’ll pay them, I want their loyalty. We'll not be there to take advantage of them, we want them on our side.

  “I may be able to help with the repairs,” I said. Karl looked at me quizzically. “My family were stonecutters, and I have the same gift.”

  “The stonecutters?” I've heard of them; father did a lot of business with your family.”

  I nodded, “I worked in the quarry, but father and my brothers did most of the actual work.” I left the rest unsaid.

  “You'll be a great help getting the place in shape. With winter coming, the mercenary companies will be going to their winter quarters. They'll rest and refit for next season in the spring. We'll repair the keep and be ready to start building our army.”

  We had enough equipment to build two more kits. Karl, and Cookie donned their new clothes and equipment. “Can you keep us in Shadow while we move away from here, at least until we are out of sight of the town?”

  “I've never tried to with horses and a wagon before, but I think so. We'll just have to move slow until I get a feel for it.”

  “Then we leave tonight,” Karl said.

  “Would you like to make a withdrawal from Duke Bodes' treasury vault before we leave?” I asked.

  Karl smiled, “I'd love to.”

  * * *

  At dusk when the shadows became longer, Karl and I left, walking in Shadow to town. “We need to get a small hand cart to load the gold on.” I said.

  “Good idea, that way we can carry more.” We found what we were looking for behind a merchant's building. I pulled it in Shadow with us and we drug it to Bodes' estate. We went right under the gate's Shadow with no problems. I was fairly sure we would, but since this was my first time trying with a cart, I didn't really know.

  “There are a lot fewer guards here than last time,” I said.

  “I'm not surprised, Karl said. “The duke has gone missing, as has his gold. Since there is no money to pay the soldiers, they left too.

  “Let's look around.”

  We left the cart in a Shadow in the main hall and moved through the house to the family apartments. A woman, the duchess I assumed, sat at a desk crying.

  “Can you tell if there is anyone else here?” Karl asked me.

  I felt the Shadows, “there’s no one inside the house, only the guards in the barracks, and manning the walls.”

  He nodded, “take us out of Shadow, please.” I touched him and stepped us out into the room.

  “Duchess,” Karl said. She jumped to her feet spinning around and almost falling, her eyes wide with fear. “Be calm lady, we mean you no harm.”

  “Who are you?” She asked in a trembling whisper.

  “Prince Aric,” he answered.

  Looking closer, she recognized him and sagged. I thought she would faint. She gathered herself, “the duke is gone. He took everything of value and left.” Karl nodded. “I can't pay my guards, I can't buy food, he has ruined us!” She turned angry, “all because of his greed, he believed the usurper when he told him he would give him more land for his support.” She shook her head, tears running down her face.

  “Do you have family you can go to?” he asked.

  “Yes, in the Capital,” she said.

  He took out a purse of gold, and several gems and laid them on the desk. “Take your men and go to your family. Someday you may be able to return here, but for now you’d be safer with them.”

  She curtsied, “thank you for your kindness, Prince Aric, I shall not forget it.” He bowed, a
nd we left the room. As soon as we were out of her sight, I stepped us back into Shadow.

  “To the vault,” he said. We retrieved the cart and went down to the basement. There was no one on guard at the door but it was locked. We went under the door, and into the vault.

  We crossed into the vault's Shadow where all the gold and riches were visible. “We won't be able to take it all, it would break the cart's axle. Take all the jewelry and gems, and some bags of gold.”

  He started loading the bags, I started gathering the jewelry and gems. He stopped at ten bags of gold. “That should hold us for a while,” he said smiling.

  “I should hope so.” I answered. We started to leave but something gave me pause. I turned and looked around.

  “What is it?” Karl asked.

  “I don't know, do you feel anything, any magic?”

  He looked around, his face a mask of concentration. “There is something.” he walked to the back wall, I followed. I felt it stronger now. I placed my hand on the wall, feeling the stone, then deeper.

  “There is an open space behind these stones, and there is magic in there.” I concentrated and the stones moved out of my way showing a small grotto. Inside was an ornate wood box, we pulled it out and opened it. The inside was lined with felt, and under a cloth lay a set of bracers. Karl picked one up, the underside was lined with padded leather. On the outside, runes were lightly carved. On the piece that covered the back of the hand, there was a glyph of a shield.

  Karl read the runes. “These are mage shield bracers. When attack, they shield you just like a normal shield would.”

  “Why wasn't that idiot wearing them? He would have lived longer... not much, but some.”

  He looked back at the grotto, “I don't think he knew about them. There is no telling how long these have been in that wall.”

  “I guess so.”

  “Give me your left arm,” he said. I held my arm out, and he buckled the bracer on. Once the buckles were fastened, the brace glowed for a second, became the same color as my sleeve, then went dark. We both smiled. I took the other bracers out of the box, putting the box in the cart. I buckled the other bracer on his arm, and the same thing happened.

  “Now we both have shields,” he said. He took another big bag of gold from the shelf, “Take this, and put it on the duchess’s desk.”

  I nodded and went back upstairs. She was lying on her bed with her eyes closed. I sat the bag of gold on the desk in Shadow, so she wouldn't hear me putting it there. Once it was settled, I released it from Shadow. She'd see it when she got up. My task complete, I returned to Karl.

  We pulled the cart back to our Shadow camp where Cookie was waiting with everything loaded and ready to go. We unloaded the cart into the wagon, then I put the spoils from the vault in Shadow. We tied our extra horses behind the wagon and were ready to leave. Karl mounted, Cookie drove the wagon, and I walked us in Shadow until we were out of sight of the town.

  I stopped, checked the Shadows to ensure we were alone, then stepped us out of the Shadow. I mounted, and we moved down the road, retracing the route we used getting here.

  We traveled on through most of the night. Before dawn we stopped at a stream and filled our water barrels and skins. While Karl and I watered the horses, Cookie made a quick meal. With the horses taken care of, I put the camp into Shadow. We were tired, so after we ate, we slept.

  * * *

  We continued to travel at night, resting safely in Shadow during the day. After five days, we arrived at Dame's Ford. It wasn't unusual for people to travel at night, so we went straight into the caravan area and set up camp. Cookie made a quick breakfast, and we ate and rested. At Mid-afternoon, Cookie walked into town to buy supplies and have them delivered.

  Karl used his guise ring to change his appearance to look older. Not many people were about, and we were all but ignored. A delivery wagon approached, with cookie riding along.

  Then Cookie and Karl took the four horses that had belonged to the assassins and sold them. They brought back meat pies and sweet rolls for dinner. We sat around our fire eating our sweet roll and drinking hot tea.

  “How long will it take us to get to Split Rock?” I asked.

  “A fortnight,” Cookie answered.

  I nodded, thinking, “And it would take the same, maybe a little more to get back to the capital from here?”

  “About that.”

  “What are you thinking?” Karl asked.

  “I was considering whether I should go with you to Split Rock to help start the rebuilding project or go to the capital and see if I can disrupt any of Lermont's plans.”

  We sat chewing, thinking. “I can see advantages to both,” Karl said, “What's your plan?”

  I shrugged, “One thought is to collapse the castle walls and maybe the barracks. I think I could do that fairly easy.” Both stared at me, “What?”

  “You can do that?” Karl asked.

  “I think so, I just need to weaken some of the foundation stones, maybe a few other things in strategic places. The weight should do the rest.”

  “I like it,” Karl said. “It's hard to hide behind walls if there are none. With no barracks, the soldiers will be less than happy. Let me think on it for a while.”

  Chapter 9

  During the night, a mercenary company moved in and set up camp a few hundred yards from us. They looked to have a lot of wounded among them. My bet was they were returning to their winter quarters, to rest and recover.

  Karl was sitting by the fire staring at them. Cookie had made porridge and boiled eggs for breakfast. I poured a cup of hot tea and sat down. I ate in silence, letting Karl think through whatever it was that he was working out.

  “I think we need to hire a mercenary company,” Karl said, not taking his eyes from them. “Cookie, go be a neighbor and look them over. See if they might be someone we'd be interested in hiring.” Cookie nodded and walked over to them. We watched as he talked to their cook. They gave him a cup of something to drink, and the two of them talked for a while.

  Cookie returned from his visit, we waited for him to sit. “We may have lucked out. Their winter quarters are in Rollings, a small town about halfway to Split Rock. We might be able to hire about half the company at winter rates. The wounded will go home to heal. Seems to be a good lot, they are returning from the continent, and know little of what has gone on in the capital.”

  “Their captain?” Karl asked.

  “Name's Rollings, he's one of the wounded. They have a good lieutenant and competent sergeants, so they say.”

  “How long are they staying here?”

  “Two days. They are going to rest; resupply then move on.

  “What do you think?” Karl asked me.

  “Could work, why don't you and Cookie go talk to them this evening, and I'll be there in Shadow. Once you leave I'II see what they say among themselves. Oh, and you need to have a story of why we are going to occupy Split Rock keep.”

  “Oh, didn't you know? I'm the illegitimate son of someone very royal who's name we will not mention. I've been sent to Split Rock to prove myself, and to keep me out of the way, lest I embarrass anyone.”

  Cookie and I nodded, “that's good, vague enough, but with hints of 'don't ask too many questions' in the story.”

  “We'll go over after dinner, and we'll take a bottle of rum with us,” Karl said.

  * * *

  When Karl and Cookie headed toward the Rollings Company, and I stepped into shadow and followed them. Karl had changed his appearance but stayed young looking, to sell the illegitimate son story. They had made a place for their captain to sit at the fire and greet guests. They invited Karl and Cookie to join them at their fire.

  “Thank you, Captain Rollings, for having us. My name is Karl Bewachen,” Karl said, handing him the bottle of rum.

  He accepted the offered bottle, “Sit and be welcome at our fire.” They wasted no time opening the bottle and passing cups around. “You are from the capital?�
�� Captain Rollings asked.

  “I am, rather I was, before father set me a task, to prove myself. He is sending me to Split Rock, to repair and occupy the keep. Mother says it's to keep me out of the way, but that matters not. I shall accomplish the task and prove myself. I'm not like some of my peers who only want to wear fancy clothes and act the part.”

  “Split Rock Keep?” He whistled, “he has set you a task. The keep has been abandoned for many years and will be in sad shape, if it's still standing at all,” said Rollings.

  “So I hear,” Karl answered. “But I have an ace up my sleeve, I've got a stonecutter joining me.”

  “Ahh, an ace indeed. But it will still take a lot of work even with his help. How many soldiers are you bringing?”

  “That's where you and your company come in. I believe you are going into winter quarters to rest and recover. I need soldiers to help rebuild and occupy the keep. I doubt there will be any fighting, so most of the duty will be building, or rebuilding.

  “I'll hire as many of you as are able to work at winter rates. I'll provide food and quarters, but we'll probably need to build the quarters first. As more of you heal and are ready, I'II hire them as well. How many men are in your company?”

  “A few over 130, but half are wounded in some way, and half that number are serious, but all are expected to live. Are you expecting trouble? Anyone chasing you?”

  “I always expect trouble, and I can't say that no one is chasing me. But as far as I know no one is seriously pursuing me at the moment. I'm sure you've heard there has been trouble in the capital. I try to stay out of such things, but someone is my position must always step carefully.”

  “What length of contract are you offering?”

  “One year for able bodied men, winter rates until spring, then garrison rates for the rest of the contract. We can renegotiate after that.”

  That was a good offer for a company with half its roster injured. I could see Rollings was considering the offer. “You buy all supplies from here on. All able-bodied men will be paid winter's rate. The wounded will be paid quarter rate until they pass fit for duty, then full rates.”