Treachery in Tarnstead

by Robyn Wideman

  Nathan tried the buhana, while the gwuala bread had been amazingly soft in the klama, it was crunchier in the buhana, but inside the crisp, crunchy bread was the warm fruit filling. It reminded Nathan of the pastries made in Balta. He would have to take some gwuala flour to the bakers in Elderwood for them to experiment. He knew for sure he’d be bringing gwuala flour to Maggie, who was an amazing cook and loved to experiment with new flavors. She would enjoy the new ingredients and recipes from Layton.

  “Would you like more?” asked Itana after Nathan finished his second piece of buhana.

  “No, I’m full. Thank you for a delicious meal.”

  Itana poured Nathan more wine. “How about you tell us about yourself, Nathan. The stories told in Venecia of the young barbarian from the north living in Elderwood are very interesting, but I fear they may have changed a little with time.”

  “A little?” asked Feli. “The last time our traders returned from Venecia, you were ten feet tall and stronger than three oxen.”

  Nathan laughed. He’d heard some of those same stories. “I can assure you I am not stronger than any oxen and you can see my height yourself. I’m afraid the real story is far less entertaining than what gets told in the pubs.” Nathan started with his life in Elderwood before the attack by Duke Evollan, or Everet as he would later call himself, then hiding in the great swamp before returning to the ruins of his village and meeting his uncle, Verin. He told them of the fight with the real bandits and heading north and discovering he had a northern king for a grandfather. He told them of rescuing Ava and the girls, and the trip to Balta and all the adventures they had in Balta before Lord Zellox’ attack forced them to abandon their new home. He left nothing out, describing with pride the work done to create the new kingdom of Elderwood and the current political situation in Tarnstead. They were an excellent audience, smiling and nodding and prodding him with questions any time he started to look like he was finishing his story. Nathan didn’t mind as telling his story served his purpose, to let his new neighbors see that he and the Kingdom of Elderwood had nothing to hide.

  “An enlightening story, Nathan. You’ve done us a great honor by being so open with us. We knew many of the details already, more than we admitted to you earlier,” said Itana. “The attack on Balta was very concerning to us and we’ve been doing our best to learn more about this Lord Zellox. We share your belief he won’t be satisfied with controlling Mithbea and will try to take Solotine. It may take years for him to build his armies up, but with the number of mages he has he wouldn’t need the biggest army. Magic in Solotine is almost gone as you well know. The great northern tribes and clans like your grandfather’s have forgotten how to defend against it. It is the same in Southern Solotine. Venecia, Bompa, Tarnstead, all could fall if they don’t build magical defenses of their own. The Council of Venecia has started hiring mages from abroad and has requested we send them mages. It has put us in a difficult position as we need to balance out the threat of Solotinians who fear magic versus the threat of Lord Zellox who uses magic to destroy his enemies. We worried that Tarnstead, a kingdom built on war, would unify, and mount an attack if its rulers knew of the true nature of our villages. However, with your new Kingdom of Elderwood on their doorstep they will not be bothered to look past you. And if you are successful in your goal of enlightening the people of Solotine to the beauty of magic, we may one day not need to hide our heritage.”

  “Tomorrow, Camille will take you to the trade road through the badlands. She will show you the way and then return to the Silver Vale. With your permission, we would like to send a delegation to your city for the lunar festival,” said Octavio.

  “That would be excellent.” Nathan realized that during the course of his tale the elders of Layton had made their decision. That they were willing to send a delegation to Elderwood was more than he’d hoped for.

  “Camille will show you to your sleeping quarters,” said Itana.

  The guardians all stood. Nathan stood as well. It was obvious his meeting with the village elders was now over. “Thank you once again for the delicious meal.” He then bowed to the three elders.

  “Travel safe, young Stoneblood,” said Galindo.

  Camille then led Nathan back out into the village. When they arrived outside the night sky was dark. Camille flicked her hand and a small globe of light lit the way. She led him to a small hut on the edge of the village. “This is my family’s hut for when one of us visits the elders.”

  The hut, which had seemed small from the outside was larger than Nathan anticipated. It had a sizeable open room with a small cooking area similar to the elders’ hut. It would be very comfortable. Camille looked expectantly at Nathan. Nathan cleared his throat, wondering about the sleeping arrangement. Her bright green eyes twinkled.

  “I’ll sleep over here, you can sleep over there. You looked a little worried, like I had plans. You are cute. But not that cute. Besides, we hardly know each other.”

  Nathan looked relieved. “I don’t know what customs you have. I was worried I was going to have to disappoint you if you had designs on my body.”

  Camille laughed as she crossed the hut. “Around here we wait at least one day before we try to seduce strangers.” She took off her boots and settled herself on a sleeping pallet.

  Nathan laughed, knowing he was being teased. “I’m glad to hear that, the beauty of this place could lead a man to make bad decisions.”

  “So, our bridges and trees excite you? You are a strange young man, Nathan Stoneblood, I’m not sure if I should be insulted that you pay more attention to the bridges than you do me.”

  With a chuckle, Nathan bid Camille goodnight. Despite being tempted to reply to her continued teasing, it was best to keep silent. In truth, he paid such great attention to the structure of the village to avoid looking at her. There was no doubt the most captivating and beautiful thing in the village wasn’t a thing at all, but a lady mage who could double as a temptress when she wasn’t hunting trolls. If he weren’t on official business he might consider allowing their flirtations to go further, but at the same time he couldn’t help but think of Ava. It seemed too soon to be so attracted to someone else. Would Ava’s spirit hate him for having such thoughts? He’d let her down when she was alive, and he’d hate to continue doing so while she was in the spirit world. No, it was best if he kept his emotions under control. Perhaps one day he would meet someone like Camille and feel he could pursue her, but not anytime soon.

  10

  Kiana smiled as she walked into the potions class. Ever since she’d made her agreement with Rose to help her with her magic studies in exchange for the younger girl’s assistance in potions class things had been going smoothly. Rose, with the help of Ava’s spirit, was a wealth of knowledge. And it didn’t hurt at all that Rose had grown up in Elderwood and knew the local fauna and flora better than anyone else in the class. And the more time Kiana spent with Rose the more she enjoyed her company. Rose was as smart as a whip and had a sense of humor that often caught her off guard.

  “Don’t bother taking a seat,” said Mage Browne. “Today you are going to learn about the glamorous life of an apprentice mage. Some of you are nearing the time in your studies where you will have to start thinking about what type of magic you want to study full time. Some may choose to study a little of everything, but to truly master a skill can take a lifetime. Choosing to apply to apprentice under a mage can give you access to magic you otherwise wouldn’t have.”

  Kiana nodded. Her mother had started mentioning the fact they were going to have apprentices and the positions would be limited to only a few students per mage. Now, while the school was still new, it wouldn’t be too hard to get an apprenticeship with a mage, but once those spots filled up it could take years before more opened. If she wanted to become an apprentice mage she would have to start focusing on what area of magic she wanted to study, alchemy and potions, runes and artifacts, and others depending on which mages were available to apprentice u
nder. The problem was she didn’t know what she wanted to do. She enjoyed potions class, and being a healer was a noble occupation, but seemed so boring. While Rose and others found it interesting, Kiana just couldn’t get into it. Without Rose’s help she probably would be the flunky of the class. Runes and artifacts was somewhat interesting, the idea of traveling the world searching for lost spells had a certain intrigue. Being a warrior-mage was also a viable option. With the threat of Lord Vellox attacking again the need for powerful mages was great, but the military lifestyle wasn’t exactly something Kiana wanted. Perhaps not taking an apprenticeship was better than jumping into the wrong one.

  “Kiana, Aspen, Rowan, and Rose head to the infirmary and report to Mage Browne. The four of you will be under her supervision today.”

  Aspen nudged Kiana. “I wonder what we’ll be doing for Mage Browne? And why are they making Rowan do this. There is no way he takes a potions apprenticeship.”

  Kiana turned to Rose. “What do you think?”

  “Isn’t it obvious?” Rose asked. “Rowan is our bodyguard.”

  Aspen frowned. “Bodyguard? Since when do potions apprentices need bodyguards? Don’t get me wrong, I can handle having the cutest mage in Elderwood protecting my body but what kind of danger do you think there is mixing potions?”

  Kiana shook her head at her friend’s talk about Rowan. But she did have a point about needing a bodyguard. What did Rose know they didn’t?

  “My sister worked under Beatrice Browne in Balta. The main job of potions apprentices was usually appropriating supplies.”

  “Appropriating supplies? That doesn’t sound dangerous,” Aspen said.

  Kiana chuckled. Appropriating supplies was something she’d had to do in Pailtar. For the Thieves’ Guild that meant stealing them from other mages. But she didn’t think Mage Browne intended for them to steal supplies, she meant for them to go on an ingredient-finding expedition, and the only close place dangerous enough to need a bodyguard was the swamp. “Rose, am I going to need a bath when we are done?”

  “Yup,” Rose said with a wicked grin.

  “I’m so lost. What are we doing?” Aspen asked.

  Kiana just smiled. “You’ll see.”

  …

  “Today you are going into the Great Swamp to gather ingredients for healing poultices and salves,” Mage Browne said to the group.

  “Oh,” said Aspen. “Now I see why Rowan is here.”

  “Actually, I volunteered. I may not want to be a potions apprentice but knowing how to make a good salve can be lifesaving. Every mage should know how to do it,” Rowan said.

  Kiana glanced over at Rowan. She wasn’t sure if he was serious or just trying to butter up Mage Browne, but it had the effect if that was his intent. Mage Browne was beaming.

  “Thank you, Rowan. Yes, I do agree everyone should learn to make salves, and all the mages from Balta should take the time to learn about the local fauna and flora. And Rowan isn’t your guardian on this expedition, Rose is.”

  Rose looked surprised. “Me?”

  “Yes. That is why I asked Lady Avera to speak with you about going into the Great Swamp. Your knowledge of the swamps is invaluable. You understand the dangers of the swamp and know what plants to harvest and which to avoid. That is just as important as having a mage who can throw a mean spell or two.”

  Aspen gently punched Rose in the shoulder. “You knew we were going into the swamp this whole time?”

  “I didn’t know for sure,” Rose said. “Aunt Avera spoke to me a few days ago about possibly going into the swamp. She was concerned I might have mixed feelings about going in there. She said we could wait until Nathan was available, but I said I was fine with it. I know the swamp well enough for the supplies Mage Browne needs. We don’t have to go too deep into the swamp for those supplies.”

  Rose, Kiana remembered, had spent weeks in the swamp with Nathan and Ava after their village was attacked. It was then that her friend lost her father, and shortly after her mother and the rest of the village when the duke attacked the second time. “I’ll be glad to have a guide who knows where they are going. Who knows what kind of trouble we’d get into if Rowan was our only guide.”

  “Adventure my dear, who knows what kind of adventure we would get into,” Rowan said while giving Kiana a wink. “But I would be delighted to have Rose be our fearless leader today.

  Kiana smiled at Rowan, he was a harmless flirt. Sometimes she wondered if he was serious about anything, but Nathan and the Alton family and mages in charge of the school all treated him with respect and placed their trust in him. And despite his flirtatious ways there was no denying he was a powerful mage. She’d seen some of his work in the classroom and when it came to raw magical power, Rowan was likely the strongest student in the school. However, for all his magical abilities in some ways he was a beginner. So, in many classes he fit in well with the first years like Rose. It was as if his entire magical upbringing had been focused on one type of magic. Warrior-mages were rare in the Thieves’ Guild, but Kiana had met a few, and she suspected Rowan had been groomed for that branch of magic. It was probably why Rowan was part of the group today.

  As they made their way out of the safe confines of the canyon, Kiana walked aside Aspen. Rowan and Rose were ahead of them and involved in an animated discussion of the local plants. Rose’s hands were flying as she pointed out different landmarks and what plants and herbs could be found near each. Rowan seemed to take everything in, only occasionally stopping Rose to question a location or to clarify a point. Kiana couldn’t keep up, especially as she kept one ear on her own conversation with Aspen.

  “I’m thinking I want to make a special dress for the festival,” Aspen said as they walked together. “But it has to be magical. Should I have it change colors? Maybe look like it is on fire? Or maybe it could just glow. What about you? Have you got something special for the festival?”

  Kiana laughed. A dress that looked like it was on fire? That would be interesting, but how many people would splash her with water in the name of being helpful. Kiana knew a few young mages who would do it just for sake of creating mischief. “I would stay away from the fire idea. A glowing dress could be interesting, or a dress that keeps changing colors. You should talk to Rose about that. She is friends with Quinton.” When it came to illusion magic, Quinton was a genius. Magical paintings, dancing fountains, and even huge monsters in the sky, there wasn’t much Quinton wouldn’t do.

  “Oh, that would be amazing. He is so creative. And I love your idea about multiple colors. But you didn’t answer my question. What are you doing for the festival?”

  The lunar festival. The kingdoms attempt to showcase their mages and introduce magic to any of the people of Solotine who came was the talk of the city. But Kiana hadn’t planned anything special. Sure, she participated in all her classroom projects to add magical elements to the kingdom, glowing trees, rose bushes that sing, but she had not come up with any magic dress like Aspen planned. Perhaps it was her years of training to be a thief, but Kiana was happier in the shadows than being on display. A magical dress like Aspen wanted to make would make her the center of attention. Somewhere Kiana didn’t want to be. And besides, wearing a dress at any time was a pain in the butt. A simple pair of leggings and a tunic or a smock was far more comfortable.

  As they walked it didn’t take long for the terrain to change. Kiana had never been to the Great Swamp before, but she could tell they were on its outskirts now. The ground was getting softer, and the vegetation thicker.

  “This is a great area for elderberries and currants,” Rose said. “On our way back, we can stop and get as many as we can carry, but there is no point carrying them into the swamp.”

  “What were elderberries good for again?” Rowan asked.

  “Aside from wine and jams?” Rose said. “They are good for poultices, they reduce swelling. And they go well in any concoctions that have taste problems. They blend well with bitter tasting plants like bilbub
. You don’t need to add the elderberries, but they taste awful if you don’t.”

  Kiana nodded, she could see plenty of elderberry bushes that were thick with berries, it was no wonder the original village of Elderwood had been started nearby. Elderberries were a versatile and valuable commodity and the outskirts of the swamp were filled with them.

  Farther into the swamp, Kiana noticed the earth was starting to stink. She wasn’t the only one to notice as Aspen made a show of holding her nose and making a gagging sound.

  Rose just laughed. “Yes, it is kind of disgusting isn’t it. Like cracking open an egg only to find it is rotten. It is gas. If you smell it, you need to be careful. It can be very dangerous. If you start feeling light-headed and dizzy head for high ground. Many a traveler has gone into the swamp and never returned. Passing out from noxious gas and drowning is probably what happens to most of them. Although there are many poisonous plants and sinkholes that will also kill you, not to mention juxxers.”

  “Juxxers?” Kiana asked.

  “Juncer Excorna is the proper name, I just call them juxxers. Most of the villagers called them swamp rats, but they technically aren’t a rat. Maybe a distant cousin of the rat, only bigger and uglier. One juxxer by itself is usually harmless, they will just run away from you unless cornered. But a pack of juxxer will take down a deer, or a man if they are hungry enough. Another good reason not to pass out from methane. You could wake up to find a juxxer gnawing on you.

  A shiver ran down Kiana’s spine. She’d never seen a juxxer, but if they were anything like the sewer rats of Pailtar then they were nasty and foul creatures. The idea of waking up to an animal gnawing at you was the stuff of nightmares. “We aren’t going to run into any of these creatures, are we?”

  “Not likely. They tend to be pretty deep in the swamp, and we won’t be going there. The deep swamp is really dangerous. I wouldn’t go there myself. Nathan is one of the few people who really knows the swamp, his mom would take him there to get ingredients. It seems the more dangerous the location the more valuable the herbs,” Rose said. “Oh, speaking of valuable. Look at that, we’ve hit the mother lode.”