Days Of Light And Shadow

by Greg Curtis

  “Lord Iros is indisposed. But I will have word sent to him of your arrival. Bennis here will take your horse, and Alsa by the main entrance will take you to the Lady Sophelia.”

  Indisposed. The word clutched at Herodan’s innards with ice cold fingers. Such an innocent word. It could mean anything. It could mean nothing. But everything in him was screaming that it meant sick. Turning the handle on death’s door sick. Just as he’d feared.

  He’d hoped that it wasn’t true. That the nasty, truly disgraceful whispers that had been given to him were the imagination of his contacts in the other missions. That his cousin couldn’t have stooped so low. But he knew he had. The sprites didn’t miss much, the dwarves despite their seeming crudeness ran a highly effective network of spies, and the gnomes with their cleverly wrought devices could spot a poison or a plot at a thousand paces. And they had all said the same thing. It was fortunate that neither Finell nor Y’aris suspected that the envoys shared information among themselves. The boy was every bit as black blooded as that advisor of his. The one that according to many, had long been orchestrating a poisoning campaign as he advanced himself to stand by Finell.

  So the witchbane had been harvested again. The vials prepared. And the evil concoction rubbed into a dying man’s wounds by a watchman dressed as a healer. And all of it done for no other reason than spite. It was unthinkable.

  Yet he had to think about it, as he was lead through the castle. And he had to think on what else he had heard before he had been dismissed from Tendarin. That Finell had sold Sophelia for naught. That he had thrown her away without ever intending to honour her sacrifice.

  It was the only thought on his mind, until finally the servant knocked on a thick wooden door and he heard Sophelia’s voice ring out. After that he could scarcely think of anything at all, save her crying and tears of joy at seeing him.

  Finell didn’t understand it. He never had and maybe he never would, but family and house was everything. As he was finally able to hold his sister in his arms again, Herodan knew that.

  With everything that had happened to the two of them, they were still alive. They were lucky. So many others hadn’t been.

  Chapter Forty Six.

  Dinner was an interesting meal, not least for where it was held. They hadn’t used the dining hall yet, but then since it was obviously meant to seat hundreds, that probably wasn’t to be expected. For once though they weren’t using the smaller family dining chamber behind the kitchen that Iros seemed to favour either. She liked that chamber too. Though it was small, barely large enough to seat half a dozen, it was the one place in this huge stone fortress that was always warm. How could it be summer and yet the castle could still be frozen through? How could people live in this icebox?

  But this evening they’d somehow found themselves in a third dining chamber, one that she hadn’t even known existed. But then the castle was huge, and she hadn’t explored a lot of it. It was full of humans, people loud and big and strange to her eyes, and though they treated her politely she still felt unwanted. She was unwanted. It was more difficult for her two attendants of course, as they had to constantly wander the endless hallways of the castle, seeking out everything from meals for them, to materials that she could fashion into wall hangings. Anything to remind her of home and take her thoughts away from the cold dreary castle.

  This chamber was somewhere in size between the other two, with a single table and a dozen chairs. But it was still a big table, polished dark oak that had been buffed recently, and the chairs were more formal than the others. High backed and covered in thick green velvet, all of it she noticed, embroidered with the mark of the fire drake in gold thread. Important symbols, important furniture and an important room. A place where formal guests might be entertained.

  And at least it was warm. The servants had banked the fire early on so that its warmth filled the room. They’d also laid out expensive silver cutlery, and tablemats of heavily embroidered linen. Again green linen and gold thread stitched in the shape of the firedrake.

  Several silver candlesticks adorned the table as well, while yellow light from the lanterns in the ceiling ring made everything seem quite cheery.

  Then there was the menu, another unusual choice that she appreciated. Spiced rabbit casserole on a bed of actual rice, with fresh green beans. She hadn’t seen rice in all the time since she’d been in Greenlands. She hadn’t thought it even grew in these parts. But she wasn’t complaining. The cook had done good work in preparing the meal for them. Elsie was a master of the ovens, and Sophelia was tired of the more normal fair of roast game and root vegetables.

  But the real blessing for Sophelia was the company. Herodan had arrived a few hours earlier, invited by her husband after he had been so horribly ordered home by Finell, and she was grateful for that. Even if there had been tears shed, she was grateful for seeing at least one member of her family again. She had feared it might not happen. That the disgrace she had brought on herself and them would prevent her family visiting. But she had forgotten that her brother regularly travelled through the human realm. For the moment.

  Of course it had not all been easy. There had been a lot of holding each other close and tears being shed as they wept for everything that had been lost. And so much had been lost thanks to Finell. It was as though he was engaged in a war against his own house. Even in Greenlands they received some news through the traders.

  House Vora was now deeply shamed, by both her marriage and Finell’s war. House Allel was surely demanding exorbitant compensation for what they considered the insult when her promise to Berris had been broken. They would have to pay it. There had been hope of her younger sister Fidelia being promised in the coming year to Arden of House Tenarri. That hope was likely gone. None of the great houses wanted to be linked, even at one step removed, to a human house. If it could even be called a house and not just a family line of a few short centuries. A house was only as worthy as those it allied itself with. And House Vora had allied itself with a family not even part of a house, let alone a great house. Even House Vora’s traditional allies would be running scared of them.

  As if that wasn’t enough, they had been shamed yet more by the unceremonious way in which Herodan had been dismissed from his post. Even in Greenlands they had heard of his dismissal. Traders had brought word days before, after they in turn had heard the gossip in the city streets. Her brother was the subject of ridicule in a thousand taverns and House Vora with him. And even in Leafshade the word from the traders was that he had been dismissed for disloyalty.

  In mere months Finell had destroyed House Vora. He had stripped it of every shred of honour and dignity. It would be generations before their pride could be restored.

  Yet as unfair as that was, it was what Herodan faced in Leafshade that worried Sophelia. It worried them both. There she feared that he would actually be tried for disloyalty. And even if he wasn’t, if what Iros had told her was true and not the fevered dreams of a sick man, he would be facing some hard questions. And first on that list was why he had not told them of the wheeled cannon.

  Worried, she had asked him that question herself soon after he’d arrived. And strangely she’d found that he already knew of the accusation. Her husband had sent him a pigeon on the very day he’d returned home, and not even told her. Apparently the envoys had a long-standing arrangement for privately sharing information. Even former envoys. She wondered if Finell knew. He would probably be upset if he found out.

  But that was the least of their worries.

  Most worrying was that Herodan’s answer would not be well received by the high lord. It would probably not be believed. Herodan had sent that very information, many times. It was just that somehow it had never made it to the high lord’s eyes.

  Finell of course, would not believe him. He trusted few since he had been elevated, save perhaps the pox ridden High Commander Y’aris. And in those two short years since he had been made high lord, all the other long serving advisor
s to his position had been removed. One by one retired, fallen ill, died in office, been disgraced, or simply vanished. Only Y’aris continued, and if she’d had the coin to wager, she would have bet that he’d had something to do with their departures. If the high lord had troll blood in him, something that seemed more likely with every day that passed, then Y’aris was pure basilisk.

  So Herodan was riding into trouble. They both knew that. But for him not to return would have been worse, as in the high lord’s eyes he would have named himself traitor. Even before she had left, Finell had been engaged in a continuing hunt for traitors. Now according to the word reaching them through the few traders that plied the road to Elaris, he was worse.

  Iros had told her also of what the black blood Y’aris had insinuated in the Royal Chamber about their family. Of his questioning of their loyalty. So if Herodan did not return, then not only would he be named a traitor, but so too would the rest of the family, and House Vora would fall completely. There was never just one traitor in the high lord’s thoughts. It was always a group, a cabal, a plot. And Y’aris seemed to know how to use that to play whatever dark game he was playing.

  So Herodan had to return, and her family had to be warned. And then maybe, a few prayers should be said. Which was why before they ate she had given her praises to the Mother.

  In these difficult times the family could use all the help they could get.

  They could also use some cheer, which was why she and Herodan had spent most of the dinner trying to speak of happier times. There was comfort to be found in the past and precious little in the future.

  Chapter Forty Seven.

  Iros sat at the table and pretended to be interested in the meal. But he just wasn’t, and he used his fork simply to push the fragrant pieces of rabbit from one side of the plate to the other. He had tasted a couple of pieces, and in sooth they were good, but already he felt ill. He felt the touch of Corpus himself upon his flesh. If he ate any more he knew he would be sick.

  In any case there were more important things to discuss than the food. More important than even his dinner companions’ conversation. To them of course, it was the most important thing as they caught up on things not spoken of in months or years. And even for him it was good to hear.

  In some ways it was hard to listen to them discussing family matters as if it was the most normal thing in the world. Of course to them it was. But in others, just the understanding that some still had families was a blessing from the Divines. It was the very reason he’d wed Sophelia, and she him. To let those families continue. Maybe later he decided, by the light of the full moon, he’d visit the graves of his own family again, and lay a few more fresh cut flowers on them as he whispered his prayers to the Divines. Soon enough he would be resting with them.

  For the moment though, there was business to discuss. Things that his wife had to be told. That her family had to know as well. Just in case. He coughed, discretely, until he finally got their attention.

  “You should know that my cousin has been found alive and well, and his family with them. I have of course sent for them to attend me in the coming days.”

  The two elves, his wife and his brother in law as he silently corrected himself, stared at him, not understanding what he meant. They understood that what he had said was important. More so than just that he had found someone to call family and bring to the castle. But not why.

  “Why have you sent for your cousin?” Sophelia seemed genuinely curious for once. Almost happy. Maybe there was hope that she was finding her stay in Castle Drake not so terrible any more. After all a woman couldn’t weep forever. Or maybe it was just the effect of having her brother with her again. Even if it was for only a few days.

  “I must make plans for the succession.”

  “Succession? But you are lord for life.”

  It was funny how Sophelia’s sky blue eyes could become so wide when she was worried, and suddenly they were very wide. And she had good reason to be worried. Just when she was adjusting to her life among the savage humans, to learn that maybe she would no longer be Lady Sophelia of Drake for that much longer. She would become a woman of no status and no house at all. Neither Drake nor Vora.

  Still she had to have thought of it. Her retinue should have discussed it with her. His position as Lord of Drake was tenuous. He was lord by default, his family dead. He should not have become lord for many years to come save for the war. And he had no heirs, and no prospect of any. That was enough to make many question his fitness. But worse, he was wed to an elf. To an enemy. No heirs would ever have been accepted by the people, and the moment even the suggestion that they were on their way had been made, there would have been protests.

  And then there was the fact that he was dying.

  He wasn’t completely sure that she understood that. He hadn’t spoken to her of it. It was a private matter. But surely the signs were obvious. The weight loss, so great that his bones now poked out everywhere. His inability to even stand on his own, he had to have guards to carry him everywhere. And the wounds all over him, only half healed. Whatever foul demon it was that had found a home in his flesh, some days he imagined it was Corpus himself, was destroying him day by day.

  The physicians didn’t know what was wrong with him, and all of their potions and spells seemed in vain. But he knew. The reapers were calling for him.

  “My life may not be that long.” He smiled at her, less bothered by the thought of dying than the idea of leaving her and her attendants in danger. Her family too. It was a matter of honour. He would not die in failure. So he had told her what he had overheard in the high lord’s chamber. Of what Y’aris and Finell had said. But she hadn’t seemed to believe him. “But you will be well cared for after I am gone. I have seen to that.”

  “Your wounds are not healing?” Sophelia had stopped eating, her fork hanging half way between the plate and her mouth. And maybe there was even a trace of concern in her words. Maybe even for him as well as her.

  “Not as they should, and the physicians say I will be unlikely to survive the winter. I must make plans for that day. The people must be kept safe, the town strong and well defended for when the war comes.” Actually he suspected he would be unlikely to even reach the winter. Fall was still some way off.

  “But you will like Heriot and Estelle. They are good people, and they will not cause you upset. They are true Drakes, and they will uphold the law.” At least he hoped that they would. But he hadn’t seen his cousin in a very long time, and when he had Heriot had been less than keen on even setting foot in the castle, or Greenlands. He far preferred big cities and grand homes in the sun. He liked his sea views and days spent basking in the sun while servants brought him endless drinks. Not rustic castles and peasant farmers.

  “I had no idea.” Her sky blue eyes fixed him with something akin to sadness. “In any case there will be no war. No one could want that. Not again.”

  “Your cousin wants it.” Why did he keep having to tell her that? It should be obvious to all. “I heard him and Y’aris speak of it as I lay bleeding on the floor of his chamber. As I have told you. This peace was always only a stay. They seek to regroup, to find an answer to the cannon, and then to strike again.”

  “And you seek to strike before him.”

  “No.” He wished she might have known him a little better by then, to know that he spoke the truth, but her distrust wasn’t a surprise. In the month since they had arrived in the town they had scarcely seen one another. She stayed in her wing of the castle, he in his. It was easiest that way. They only ate together in the evenings, and then only occasionally, when he sent a servant to ask for her attendance. And usually that was to discuss specific matters. It was a strange thing to realise, but they’d probably seen more of each other in Leafshade before they were married than since.

  “All my work is done in defending the people. Building walls and earth buttresses. Cannon emplacements. Since the fall of the more southern towns Castle Drake an
d Greenlands have now become the border between your people and mine. It will be held. Finell’s soldiers will come like the tides, and when they do they will break before our walls.”

  “I am sorry if that causes you pain. But I promise you, if they do not come the armies of Elaris will not fall.”

  “As do I sorrow,” Herodan responded. “But Lord Iros is right sister. Finell will attack again. Of that there can be no doubt. It is only the when that is in question.” Iros stared at his brother in law in surprise. For one not only of her people and her family but also of the diplomatic profession, to say such a thing in front of an outsider, surely that had to say something. Something that surprised Iros. Maybe it also spoke loudly of why Herodan was no longer Finell’s envoy in the realm. Why he had been dismissed so nastily. House Vora was no longer as united as they had once been. Regardless Iros was glad to have someone, anyone believe him. But still it was not what he needed to tell them.

  “Sophelia, you will be safe here after I am gone. Greenlands will stand firm no matter how many attack, and I have seen to it that you will retain the title of Lady Sophelia. I have also ensured that you will keep your quarters in the castle if you so desire, and that there will be a regular income for you even if you should choose to leave. Enough that you should be able to live a comfortable life wherever you choose.” Iros handed her the papers, all signed and witnessed. She would need them soon he suspected.