The Warded Box

by Guy Antibes

  “Shall we wait?” Ralinn said. Jack could tell she didn’t want to resume the walking.

  “We will be exposed, but this village is farther from the main road than the waterway. I wouldn’t mind having a better idea what we will face along the way,” Tanner said. “We will be spending the night outside anyway. A vote?”

  They sat around talking. Someone would show up, and Jack would look expectantly at the tavern owner who would shake his head. It seemed that everyone sighed when the owner didn’t give them the sign that one of those who knew the waterway showed up. Jack thought it was kind of funny.

  “Fasher will be disappointed I didn’t make it back to Raker Falls as soon as expected,” Jack said.

  Corina sat up straighter. “Fasher? Fasher Tempest?”

  “You know him?” Tanner asked.

  “What about Fasher Tempest?” Jack said.

  “He and I go back a ways,” she said. “He was younger, of course, but then,” she smiled and curled a tendril of her hair, “but so was I. Fasher had just been released as his mentor’s apprentice. I never knew his master’s name. Fasher was always a bit mysterious about his youth. A family of daughters took him in, but he kept the last name of Tempest. That was all he told me when he introduced me to his family.”

  “You met his parents?” Helen said.

  Corina blushed. “We were close, Fasher and I. The Kadellians began their wretched war, so I was shocked when he was impressed into service, and after that…”

  “He fought in the Corandian army. We met at a particularly brutal battle. Helen and I were there. He came out of it a changed man,” Tanner said. “You never heard from him again?”

  Corina nodded her head. “He was called into the army. I waited for him, living close to his adoptive parents, but he never returned home. The circumstances were awkward, to say the least, so I left Corand and soon entered the Eldoran temple in Yellowbird. I always wondered what had happened to him. ”

  Jack looked at the woman. There seemed to be a lot left unsaid, but he could see that Fasher had once been important in her life. What a coincidence, or was it? Jack clutched the tiny box hanging from his neck along with the orb and wondered if Eldora’s hand was involved in all this. She chose him, and she chose Corina Bell. Under the circumstances, Jack kept his suspicions to himself.

  ~

  Two villages later, the travelers bought horses and a packhorse, so the six people and seven horses began to move a little faster along the waterway. The going became treacherous from time to time, and they finally had to take a detour.

  “We need to turn around immediately,” Tanner said when they rode around a corner, facing a checkpoint manned by six soldiers.

  “Halt!” one of the soldiers yelled.

  They urged their horses on, but Corina wasn’t as skilled, and her horse blocked the path. It reared throwing the woman off. Jack jumped down and helped her up.

  “My arm,” she said clutching her wrist. “I can’t get on my horse. Go, leave me behind.”

  Jack couldn’t do that, and it appeared neither could Tanner. Helen returned with Ralinn, followed by a reluctant Lark.

  “What is wrong?” the wizard asked.

  “Corina is hurt,” Tanner said.

  Helen had already dismounted and was checking on Corina’s injury. “It might be broken.”

  Lark looked back toward the checkpoint again, now lost to view, and sighed. “They will catch us now.”

  “I don’t propose fighting them. We will tell them the truth, mostly,” Tanner said.

  In moments, mounted soldiers surrounded them.

  “You fled,” an officer said.

  “After what we saw in Yellowbird, you would too,” Tanner said.

  “Papers,” the man held out his hand.

  “Such as they are,” Tanner said. “We were burned out of our inn.” Tanner had kept the Corandian version of Lark and Ralinn’s identity papers. “Corina’s were burned.”

  “Just the woman’s?”

  Tanner nodded. “She lost everything.”

  “But you have horses,” the officer said.

  “Here is the receipt. We bought them at a village a day away.”

  The officer handed the papers back to Tanner. “You will come with me. We can’t have travelers roaming these parts unescorted.”

  Jack didn’t know exactly what the soldier meant. Were they to have an escort or were they not to be traveling at all, he thought?

  Jack and Tanner helped Corina up on her mount. She was in pain and barely controlled her horse as they ambled back to the checkpoint.

  “What insurgency are you?”

  “We are no insurgency. Our ultimate leader is Baron Overvale. We count ourselves Loyalists.”

  “So you don’t mind us heading for Gameton and beyond.”

  “Eventually,” the officer said. “Follow us.”

  Jack sighed. That sounded like they would be retained.

  The soldiers split with a squad in the back and the officer and the remaining men in front. Jack looked at Corina who looked miserable. He didn’t know if it was caused by the pain in her arm or the guilt that her fall caused their capture. He gave her a grin, and she returned it with a weak smile.

  They were escorted through the camp to a guarded area.

  “There are some empty tents in the back. We will have to impound your horses.”

  “Our weapons?”

  “We will take your swords, but you may keep your knives. You aren’t prisoners. We are waiting for circumstances in Yellowbird to work themselves out before we proceed.

  Jack gave up his sword, but the soldiers let him keep his wand and knife. The four-person tents had cots inside with thin straw-filled mattresses. Ralinn, Helen, and Corina shared a tent along with the bags the packhorse carried. Tanner pointed to the cot on the right side in the back as he tossed his things to the one on the back left. “You take that one. It looks softer.”

  Jack laughed. “As if you could tell. What do you think?”

  Tanner put a finger to his lips and nodded toward Jack, who turned around to see a shadow on the tent behind him. The figure wore a sword, so it had to be a soldier.

  “I think we just stay here until we can resume our journey to Wilton,” Tanner said.

  Jack shrugged and mouthed, “What do I say?”

  Tanner laughed. “Get your things put away, and let us see where we are.”

  Lark walked in and grunted. He put his bags on one bed and laid down on the other, putting his cap over his face.

  Jack didn’t have anything to put away, but he took off his cuirass and helmet but left his bracers on as he followed Tanner out. A soldier stepped away toward other tents.

  “There are one or two other groups in here,” Helen said, walking up to them. “Corina and Ralinn are lying down. Ralinn did what she could for the woman.”

  “Any idea what is going on?” Tanner asked. “Does Lark know Baron Overvale?”

  “I haven’t had a chance to talk to him. Have you?”

  Tanner shook his head. “Shall we talk to a few of our prison-mates?” he said.

  The three of them strolled over to another group. “We just arrived,” Tanner said.

  “Obviously,” a tall, well-built man with a long beard said. “We’ve been here for four days. They pulled us off the main road.”

  “You were coming from Yellowbird?”

  “From Gameton. Evidently, they are keeping people capable of fending for themselves in the camp. The soldiers took your swords?” the man said.

  Tanner nodded. “So local merchants, old men, old women, and children are getting through?”

  “And ladies.” The man looked at Helen with appraising eyes. “Except you have wizards and warriors among your group.”

  “We do. We have traveled from Underville in Corand. So what is going on?” Tanner asked.

  “Baron Overvale seems to be playing a game of his own.”

  “Who is Baron Overvale?” Jack wa
s getting a little confused. “Is he a Loyalist or an insurgent?”

  “That is the right question, but I wouldn’t ask the soldiers in this camp,” the man said. “What do you plan on doing?”

  “Waiting, for a while anyway,” Tanner said. “What keeps you from walking away? A few soldiers guarding this little corner of the camp shouldn’t be able to stop you if you leave.”

  “They did,” the man said. “There are manned checkpoints throughout this area.”

  “Is this Baron Overvale’s domain?”

  The man laughed. “No. He lives in Gameton. I suggest you stay away from the city for a while. It may end up like Yellowbird if what the soldiers told me is correct.”

  “And what is that?” Jack said.

  The man turned to him. “Yellowbird burned to the ground three days ago.”

  “Not true. We left the city three days ago, and it was still standing. There were fires, but it will take a lot of fire to burn Yellowbird. That isn’t to say some structures didn’t burn,” Tanner said. “Our inn did. I wouldn’t go to Yellowbird, since it has every faction imaginable fighting in the streets.”

  “It isn’t burned?”

  “I can’t say what it is like now, but there were a thousand Panderites poised to move into the city at some point. I doubt they would let it be destroyed.”

  “Hmmm. I’ve been told a falsehood, then.”

  “By the soldiers?”

  The bearded man nodded. “Indeed. I don’t know what to believe.” He narrowed his eyes. “Maybe you are the liar.”

  Tanner scratched his scalp. “Maybe I am, but I was told to stay off the main road. We took the waterway path, but it was broken, so we took a detour—”

  “And ended up in Baron Overvale’s clutches.”

  “Precisely. Can’t win, it seems.” Tanner said. The mercenary yawned. “When do we get fed?”

  “Soon enough, but I wouldn’t look forward to it. Army food.”

  Tanner smiled. “I’ve had enough of that in my time. There have been plenty of times in my life when I would have done anything for army food. Perhaps we will talk again.”

  “Our little compound is too small to prevent it.”

  Tanner turned back to their tent with Jack following like a little puppy, at least that was how Jack pictured their walk in his mind. Helen returned to the women’s tent.

  Lark still had his cap on his face.

  “Enough of that,” Tanner said, kicking Lark’s boot.

  Lark sat up. It was obvious he hadn’t been sleeping. “Did you learn anything?”

  “You have to have heard of Baron Overvale,” Tanner said. “He lives in Gameton.”

  “I’ve heard of him,” Lark said. “I’m a bit worried here.”

  “He isn’t exactly a Loyalist, is he?” Tanner asked.

  “He plays his own game, but I don’t see him leading an insurgency. He would lose all support among the nobles in Gameton.”

  “Are you that naive? If he had an army stopping people who can fight going both ways, he has allies in Gameton, wouldn’t you think?”

  “Both ways?”

  Tanner nodded. “Going to Gameton and going to Yellowbird. We might be facing being impressed into his service.”

  “He can’t do that.”

  Tanner shook his head. “He might not, but his soldiers will.

  “Then we have to escape.”

  “I’m all for escaping,” Jack said.

  “Not the right time,” Tanner said. “Corina needs a bit more time before we subject her to an escape.”

  Lark stood up. “Then leave her here.”

  “Not possible,” Jack said. “She is coming with us, or have you forgotten this,” he pulled down his veil.

  “I hate this trip,” Lark said, running his hand through his hair. “How soon can we leave, then?”

  “When we figure out a way to get our horses and our weapons, and Corina’s arm is better.”

  “Ralinn knows a few of the healing arts. She might be able to help,” Lark said.

  “She has already started,” Jack said.

  “And her tent is our next stop,” Tanner said. “I imagine you don’t want to show your face outside?”

  Lark paused for a moment. “No.”

  “I thought so. Jack and I will be back.”

  They had only gone a few steps from the tent when Jack said, “He is better known than he lets on.”

  “Yep. Ralinn too. I don’t know who they really are, and I don’t care at this point. They will take care of hiding their identities, and we should help them with that. Fasher had to have had a reason for having us join them. If nothing else, the pair of them has made the journey to Wilton more than interesting.”

  “Maybe Fasher thought it would be good for them to join us. They have made my trip more interesting,” Jack said.

  Tanner only grunted just before they stepped to the tent. Helen flipped the flap open with a knife in her hand.

  “That won’t play well with the soldiers,” Tanner said.

  “No. Come in.”

  Ralinn was checking Corina’s arm.

  “Is it broken?” Tanner asked.

  Ralinn looked at them. Her veil was off, and her beauty always struck Jack. She gave them a little smile. “No, but she says it hurts.”

  “Does it hurt?” Tanner asked Corina.

  “Wanted to find out for yourself?” Corina said. She looked in much better spirits than when they arrived.

  “I did.” He looked at Helen. “Why don’t you make sure we don’t get any unwanted listeners?”

  She nodded and left the tent.

  “You shouldn’t be without your veil, even when you sleep,” Tanner said. She gasped. “Lark didn’t tell us anything other than you two are probably known to Baron Overvale.”

  “We are,” Ralinn admitted.

  “With my arm bound tight, I can do anything now. It hurt too much before, but Ralinn took care of that. I never did learn much healing at the temple. There were younger sisters who wanted to learn more than I did.” Corina gave them a smile, and this time it didn’t look forced. “We should leave as soon as we can. I won’t be left behind. Baron Overvale is not an unknown in Yellowbird. He is not to be trusted.”

  “If I was a betting man,” Tanner leaned back to see if Helen was listening. “And I’m not, I wouldn’t bet on being let go. Jack and I will figure out something. Rest up, both of you.”

  Chapter Twenty-One

  ~

  T hey left Corina and headed back to their tent. Jack looked around. “Where is Helen?”

  “Roaming around?” Tanner said. “That doesn’t sound like her unless she tells me she is going scouting.”

  They ran to their tent and Lark was gone. Jack looked at the ground around the tent. “New footprints and at least one is being dragged.”

  “Lark.” Tanner turned to look back at Ralinn’s tent in time to see four soldiers escort Ralinn and Corina out. The mercenary sighed and lowered his shoulders. “We can’t do a thing at this point. Let’s put on our armor to protect ourselves.”

  When they emerged from the tent, a squad of soldiers arrived. “There you are. Come with us.”

  Tanner looked at Jack and shrugged. They were escorted out of the private area. Jack noticed the man with the long beard standing with his arms folded and his face impassive.

  “This way,” a soldier said. They twisted their way through the camp until they arrived at a larger tent. “Inside.”

  The soldiers pushed Tanner and Jack a little harder than they needed to. Jack looked around. Three gloved wizards stood in a clump. Lark, unveiled, faced a senior officer, if decorations meant anything in the Baron’s army. The man was bald and a little overweight, but Jack didn’t care for his features. He looked angry, and Jack doubted that the angry look ever left his face.

  “Come in, come in. I appreciate your delivering someone I have been looking for.” He looked at Lark, who stood silently looking past the officer. “Pe
rhaps you haven’t been properly introduced. This is Prince Larkin Waterford. You didn’t know did you?”

  Tanner didn’t say a thing. Jack stared at Lark. He suspected Ralinn and Lark were nobles, but not that noble. He hadn’t met anyone higher up than Tanner’s brother, the Duke of Bartonsee.

  “I should introduce myself. I am Baron Overvale, and my men surround you. I am still dithering about where my loyalty lies, but first and foremost I am loyal to myself. I’m sure you understand.”

  “I do,” Tanner said. “Where are the women?”

  “They will be here in a moment. The mercenary woman is being seen to. She protested a little too strongly. I hope you two are more intelligent than her.”

  Jack had already seen Helen’s temper. It had gotten the better of her before.

  The three veiled females were led into the chamber. Helen had a bandage around her temple and red marks on her face that would likely turn into bruises.

  “You know that Larkin’s sister, Aralinn, has been traveling with you? We haven’t gotten to the reason why yet, and I am very interested,” the baron said.

  “They are helping us travel to Wilton,” Jack said.

  “Noble guides, I see, and what were you to do in Wilton?”

  “I carry a message to be delivered to the grand wizard,” Jack said.

  Overvale furrowed his brow. “What is the message?”

  “We don’t know. It is within a warded box,” Jack said. “I don’t think we were meant to see it. As I said, it is warded.”

  The baron shot a glance at the Black Finger Society wizards. “What is a warded box?”

  One of the wizards shrugged. “A box that is warded. If the ward is sophisticated, it might be a high level First or Second Manipulation. They are generally disguised in some way, but if created by a powerful wizard, they can be objects of power.”

  The baron nodded. “I assume you can open one?”

  The wizards looked at each other with a bit of fear being shared between them. “Is the wizard powerful?” one of them asked Jack.

  “Very. I am his servant.” He wouldn’t use the term wizard’s helper in front of these men.

  “You can touch the box?”

  “The grand wizard is to open it,” Jack said, lying just a little.