Dwarven Ruby

by Richard S. Tuttle

  “You could,” nodded David, “but I wouldn’t handle it that way.”

  “Why not?” queried Duke Everich. “How would you handle it?”

  “Who knows how many people he has spread his conspiracies to,” declared David. “If you kill him, you might just be proving to the next lunatic that Sydar was right. If you kick him out of town, it is as though you are laughing at him and his conspiracies. Sometimes there can be punishments worse than death.”

  “You are a devious man,” snickered Duke Everich. “I thank you for bringing this matter to our attention, but I do not see that the trip was worth your time.”

  “Anything that promotes peace and stability in Tagaret makes our job easier,” responded David, “but that is not all of it. I really became concerned about all of this today. I said that I sent twelve of the men to Cidal, but when the last three came in, I knew that I had to do something about it. I figured that your army might want to talk to some of these lunatics and find out what is going on.”

  “So what did you do with the last three men?” asked Duke Jiardin.

  “I locked them in a cell,” smiled David. “Personally, I think you should kick them out of the city too, but that is your problem, not mine. If your army wishes them, I will hold them until morning. If not, I will just let them go.”

  “Interesting,” mused Duke Everich. “Perhaps I should have Colonel Salvo contact you tonight. Will you be available?”

  “I will make myself available,” nodded David Jaynes. “You should have Colonel Salvo try to locate this Sydar too and get him out of your city. Even if his only harm is spreading conspiracy theories, he could tie your people up for days as they try to determine fact from fiction. You just don’t need to waste your resources that way.”

  “Well, thank you for coming, David,” smiled Duke Everich. “We should meet more frequently. You have a very different way of looking at things.”

  “Thank you for seeing me,” nodded David as he turned and left.

  * * *

  “You took your time getting here,” snarled Duke Everich. “I do not plan to remain awake all night to deal with this problem.”

  “My apologies, Duke Everich,” greeted Colonel Salvo. “I was not in my office when your message arrived. I was interrogating a prisoner.”

  “I hope this prisoner revealed the information you need to stop the rioters that are disrupting this city,” scowled Duke Everich. “They are becoming much more than an embarrassment.”

  “Actually,” replied Colonel Salvo, “I have been working on something far more important. I believe that Tagaret is being infiltrated by Red Swords, and I aim to find out what their plan is.”

  “There are Red Swords all over this city,” retorted Duke Everich. “Many of the mercenaries are Red Swords or Rangers.”

  “Exactly,” nodded Colonel Salvo. “I think the Grakus Mercenary Company may be in league with Queen Marta. Today I captured a Red Sword who was sending men in small groups to the mercenaries. I was overseeing his interrogation when your message arrived. Within days I will discover their plan.”

  Duke Everich’s eyes narrowed and his brow furrowed as he stared at the colonel. “What is the name of this Red Sword?” questioned Duke Everich.

  “His name is Sydar,” answered Colonel Salvo. “We witnessed him meeting with and sending twelve men to the Grakus Mercenary Company. He has already admitted that the twelve men were Red Swords. Do you understand what this means? If the Grakus Mercenary Company is working with Queen Marta then all of the estates in Tagaret are harboring the enemy. We must round them all up.”

  “Have you verified that Queen Marta still lives?” questioned Duke Everich.

  “No,” frowned Colonel Salvo, “but we have no proof that she is dead, either.”

  “Let me see if I have your plan correctly,” sneered Duke Everich. “There are hundreds of rioters rampaging through this city. They are stealing food and threatening the population, mostly the councilors and nobles who control the city. Now, on the word of a madman, you want to stir up more trouble for me by going to these very estates and arresting their security forces? Are you trying to have my rule overthrown?”

  “I do not understand,” frowned Colonel Salvo. “We cannot allow forces of the Queen to take up refuge on these estates. Surely that is protecting your rule more than worrying about some children stealing food?”

  “It might be, if the man you are interrogating is not crazy,” rebuked Duke Everich. “As for the mercenary companies plotting against me, David Jaynes has already been here and warned me about Sydar. It appears that they keep me better informed than my own people. Did you know that Sydar was kicked out of the Red Swords because he saw conspiracies everywhere?”

  “He must be lying,” Colonel Salvo said nervously. “He is probably trying to cover his involvement in this.”

  “Then why would he admit that Sydar sent fifteen men and not just the twelve that you reported?” questioned Duke Sydar.

  “The last three men were my own,” offered Colonel Salvo. “No doubt, Jaynes has killed them by now.”

  “Hardly,” spat Duke Everich. “He is holding them in a cell. He sent the first twelve to Cidal because they were not the type of men that he would trust to place with his clients. If those are your men that he is holding, and he was involved in this conspiracy with Queen Marta, he surely would have killed them. I am disappointed in you, Colonel.”

  “But…,” Salvo began.

  “No buts,” snarled Duke Everich. “You are wasting time chasing ghosts while the city falls to mere children. If you are not up to the task that I have assigned you, I am sure that I can find another officer who is. I want those children stopped. Every Council meeting starts with the same questions. I am getting very tired of avoiding the question of why our army cannot even stop children from running rampant in this city.”

  “I can handle both tasks,” offered Colonel Salvo.

  “You cannot even handle one of them,” scowled Duke Everich. “I want Sydar thrown out of the city. If he tries to return, the gate guards are to kill him on the spot. Most importantly, I want those children stopped. I do not want to see another food shipment stolen by them. I do not want to see another street demonstration by them. I want order returned to this city, and I want it now. Do you understand?”

  “I understand,” frowned Colonel Salvo as he clenched his fists in rage.

  “Good,” Duke Everich said. “I was beginning to fear that I would have to hire mercenaries to put down the riots. Collect your men from the Grakus Mercenary Company. Perhaps they can walk the streets looking for stray children.”

  Colonel Salvo nodded glumly as he turned and strode out of Duke Everich’s office.

  * * *

  The soldiers shoved Sydar and his sister through the gate. The woman fell to the ground and Sydar rushed to her aid.

  “You are warned to never approach this gate again,” declared one of the soldiers. “This gate or any other Tagaret gate. You will be killed if you do.”

  “What of my boys?” cried the woman as the gates slammed closed, leaving the couple alone in the darkness of the night.

  “I will find a way to get the boys out safely,” promised Sydar.

  “How?” cried the sister. “You betrayed the Red Swords to save my life. Do not expect any help from them.”

  Sydar nodded sadly and took his sister’s hand. They started walking along the road to the west. As soon as they rounded a bend in the road that obscured the view of the gate, an old man stepped out of the forest.

  “Come with me quickly and quietly,” the old man said as he turned and walked briskly down a small trail.

  Sydar heard his sister take a sharp inhale of breath. Concern etched its way into Sydar’s face as he no longer carried a sword, but the man looked harmless enough. He led his sister along the narrow trail. Several dozen paces into the forest, Sydar saw the old man and three horses.

  “How much did you tell them?” asked the old
man.

  “Who are you?” demanded Sydar suspiciously.

  “A friend,” smiled the old man. “You can call me Fabel. I have been sent to unite you with your nephews, but I must know the extent of the damage, particularly concerning the farm.”

  Mention of the farm convinced Sydar that Fabel was friendly.

  “No mention of the farm,” smiled Sydar. “I told them little, although I fear in time I might have. I am not sure why they let me go all of a sudden.”

  “Colonel Salvo was forced to free you,” explained Fabel, “but he is having you followed so we do not have much time. What did they learn?”

  “I told them that I was a friend of David Jaynes,” offered Sydar. “That I had convinced my friends that I could get them jobs at the Grakus Mercenary Company. The jobs would be guarding estates. I told them that all of my friends were ex-Red Swords. Nothing more.”

  “Excellent,” smiled Fabel.

  “Take two horses and ride for Miram,” instructed Fabel. “Lose whoever is following you before you get there.”

  “What about my children?” asked the sister.

  “Arrangements have been made to reunite you,” smiled Fabel. “Obtain an inn on the waterfront in Miram. A ship will stop there with the boys on it. When you see them, board the ship.”

  “Where are we going then?” asked Sydar. “And am I thrown out of the Red Swords now?”

  “You are being reassigned to Tice,” answered Fabel. “It is not safe for you in Tagaret anymore. There is a sword and a pouch of gold on one of the horses. There is food on the other. Be sure to lose Salvo’s men before Miram. If he sees you getting help, he may begin to focus on David again. If Salvo’s men think that following you will not lead them to the queen, they will probably try to kill you to appease the colonel. Good luck.”

  Chapter 9

  Gypsies

  Sparks flew into the air as a gypsy threw another log on the fire. The woman turning the spit that held the wild boar jumped back as the sparks flew towards her. After a few seconds, she moved forward and continued rotating the spit.

  “Not one, but three other tribes have agreed to join with us,” Adan declared loudly as the gypsies gathered around the fire to hear the report of their leader’s travels.

  “Who will lead the combined tribes?” asked Caroom.

  “Each of the other leaders has deferred to me,” grinned Adan. “We have been the most successful in gathering what we need to feed our people.”

  “Thanks to you, Adan,” shouted Terrik, one of the tribe elders. “Your father would be proud to see you now. Always there is food on our plates and coin in our purses.”

  “It is not just me, Terrik,” smiled Adan before he turned more serious. “We have all learned how to deal with the bastas. This will become harder soon, though. These Lanoirians are gearing up for war. No longer can we casually move into a village and barter with the citizens. No longer can we travel the land freely without being harassed. You have all seen the changes over the last few years. Those changes are just a prelude for the Lanoirians. They look at gypsies, and they see a people needing to be crushed. That is why I have decided that we must grow larger and stronger. To survive, we shall have to fight.”

  “Couldn’t we just move over the mountains to Sordoa?” asked a woman.

  “No,” answered Adan. “The Lanoirians will soon be moving into Sordoa. There is not going to be a Sordoa, just a larger Lanoir. I have heard talk that they will not stop until they reach Kantor. These Lanoirians are out for conquest.”

  “We have had enough food, thanks to your leadership,” asked a man, “but how do you intend to feed four times as many people when the other tribes join with us?”

  “As we always have,” grinned Adan. “We shall use the skills that have been passed down to us for generations. We will just be using them in new ways.”

  “What are you taking about?” asked Caroom. “You are saying nothing that makes sense.”

  “Let me spell it out so even a child can understand it then, Caroom,” Adan grinned as laughter erupted around the fire. “Do gypsies know how to fight? Do we know how to open locked doors? Can we smell an untethered horse a league away? Is there a secret anywhere that a gypsy cannot learn of?”

  Laughter rolled around the campfire like a wave. Caroom’s face grew dark and he glared at Adan. Instead of returning the glare, Adan put his arm around the huge gypsy.

  “Caroom, you are going to enjoy the new ways,” stated Adan. “We can no longer be passive, because the Lanoirians will no longer allow us to be. They are evil people who like to kill everyone in their path. Well, the gypsies are not going to roll over and die for them. We are going to fight them, and we are going to take anything of theirs that we want for ourselves.”

  “They have mighty armies,” frowned Terrik. “The gypsies are no match for the Lanoirian army. Perhaps we should wait to see if we could make peace with them. We only want to be left alone.”

  Adan removed his arm from Caroom and walked around the fire. As he walked, he met the gaze of every gypsy there. When he had completed the circuit, he stopped and gazed at the fire for a moment.

  “My father was a believer in maintaining the peaceful ways,” Adan said solemnly. “This is the way he taught me, and this is how I have led you since his death. Even before he died, he knew that things were due to change. He cried when he saw what had become of other tribes. The gypsy people have been persecuted everywhere since the Collapse. This is not the result of randomness. The air we breathe is tainted with the breath of the Foul Demon, Alutar. It does not matter where the gypsies go. They will persecute us there, too. How many of you remember Ora, my father’s brother?”

  Hands shot up around the fire and Adan nodded appreciatively. “I spoke with Ora after my father’s death. I asked him for guidance in the task that was before me. He told me to honor the ways of my father. He also told me that a time would come when the rules would change. He told me to train my tribe to be prepared for that time else we would perish. Ora gave me good advice.”

  “But how do you know the time is right?” inquired Terrik. “Did Ora tell you when this would happen?”

  “Indeed he did,” smiled Adan. “That is why I struck out on my trip these past few days. I have seen the sign that Ora predicted. And so have you. Look up!”

  The gypsies gazed upward, searching the sky for the sign they were supposed to see.

  “There is nothing up there but the sky,” remarked Caroom.

  “That, Caroom, is the sign Ora promised,” declared Adan. “When the stars return to the heavens, then you must be prepared. That is what Ora told me. I was shocked a few days ago, like most of you were, to see the Darkness flee from us. I think I have done a good job of instructing all of you to continue with your skills, but I failed to reach out to the other tribes. I should have been spreading the word to all gypsies to prepare, but I could not imagine such an event would actually happen. Now I know that Ora spoke words of wisdom. That is why I have invited the other tribes to join us.”

  “I never knew Ora as a visionary,” remarked Terrik.

  “He was not a visionary,” replied Adan. “He spoke with an eternal being. That is how he knew about the end of the Darkness.”

  “An eternal being?” asked Natia. “You mean a ghost?”

  “Not a ghost,” Adan shook his head. “A magician who is timeless. One without beginning or end. He was known as the Mage.”

  “How would this mage know of such things?” queried Natia.

  “Because things are written,” answered Adan. “I cannot relate all that Ora knew. I can only remember what he told me. The Mage told him of the Ancient Prophecy. That prophecy told of the coming Darkness and the coming king who would try to bring back the sun and the moon. We are now experiencing a part of that Ancient Prophecy.”

  “Does Ora still live?” asked Terrik. “Perhaps we can ask him more about this.”

  “I do not know,” frowned Adan. “He has no
t been seen in many years.”

  “Do you think this Emperor Hanchi is the king the prophecy speaks of?” asked Natia.

  “No,” Adan shook his head. “Hanchi is evil. I cannot imagine the prophecy speaking of an evil king, because the clearing sky is like a rebirth of the world. It is too wondrous a thing to be associated with evil.”

  “Yet Ora’s warning was that the clearing would herald great evil for the gypsies,” remarked Terrik. “Is that not why we are banding with the other tribes?”

  “It is,” nodded Adan. “I do not know all of the Ancient Prophecy. Perhaps the clearing is just the first stage. The only part of the prophecy that matters to the gypsies is the clearing of the sky. Now is when we must unite to survive.”

  Caroom moved swiftly away from the gathering and Natia turned her head to see where he went. She stood up to get a better view and saw Tedi roaming around, staring at the gaily-painted wagons. Caroom rushed over to Tedi and pushed him down. Natia raced across the clearing. Tedi rose before she reached him.

  “I am sorry,” Tedi said to Caroom. “I did not mean anything. Is it your wagon? I was only looking at it. It is pretty.”

  “What is going on?” Natia said to Caroom as she halted next to him.

  “I caught this weasel trying to escape,” bellowed Caroom. “He thought he could just sneak off while we were feasting.”

  “I was not going anywhere,” Tedi said sheepishly.

  Caroom slapped Tedi, and Tedi tumbled to the ground. Slowly, Tedi got back up and looked confused. Caroom brought back his huge arm to strike Tedi again, and Tedi cowered alongside the wagon.

  “Stop it!” demanded Natia. “There is no need to hit him again. You already have him scared to death.”

  Natia tried to grab Caroom’s arm and hang on to it, but he shook her off and Natia fell to the ground.

  “No!” shouted Tedi as he launched himself at Caroom.

  Tedi threw himself at the huge gypsy and they both tumbled to the ground. Tedi jumped up and ran to Natia’s side as she sat up. Caroom walked over and grabbed Tedi by the neck.