The general's nostrils flared as he shifted his gaze to the bags that hung over Stavin's shoulder. "You risk your soul, Friend Stavin."
"That is why I seek an Adept, Sir," Stavin answered.
"Unfortunately, I don't have one," the general said as he leaned forward. "My senior Battlemage is only a Master. There is, however, an adept in the city. Her name is Sharindis--What?" the general asked because Stavin had reacted to the name with a startled twitch.
"Forgive me, general," Stavin said. "My wife's name is Sharindis."
The general shook his head. "Don't let your guard down with this one. She's as mean as a snake and as sharp as a sword." The general rang the bell on his desk and the major returned. "Take Friend Stavin to Adept Sharindis. Take a detachment of twenty men and ensure that he gets there safely. Above all else, make sure nothing happens to those saddlebags. What is in them is far too dangerous."
Stavin and the major both snapped to attention, and bowed. At the general's wave of dismissal they turned as one and left the room. Once they were out of the general's office the major asked, "What do you carry, Friend Stavin?"
"Evil amulets in salt," Stavin replied without looking at the major.
"Gods Below," the major whispered as he edged away from Stavin.
"Yes," Stavin agreed, "one of those."
The major gathered his men and they formed a protective phalanx around Stavin. The soldiers drew curious glances as they marched halfway across the city to a building that had once been an elegant mansion, but was now shabby and overrun with ivy. The gate opened before they reached it, but the major stopped. At Stavin's questioning look he explained, "You go alone from here, Friend Stavin."
Stavin bowed his head deeply and said, "Thank you, Sir," then walked through the gate and followed the path to a door that opened before he reached it. Walking through the door led him to a passageway and out into a garden.
"Welcome," a woman's voice said and Stavin stepped toward it. "You are quite a sight to see, young man," the voice said and Stavin turned to find himself facing a fabric screen. "Place the amulets of the Evil One in the circle of Arandar the Bright and I will cleanse them," she said and Stavin did as he was told. "Can you pay the price?"
"I don't know what the price is," Stavin said, turning back to the screen.
"The price I always ask," the voice said and the screen fell away to reveal a frail, withered old woman. "You must try to kill me."
"What!?" Stavin shouted.
A wry smile twisted the old woman's lips. "Long ago I cast a spell for eternal life, but I forgot to include youth and health," she said, moving a blanket to show her twisted and stunted legs. "Once done, I could not change it. For two hundred and thirty-nine years I have suffered the ravages of time."
Stavin took a step toward her and asked, "Why has no one ended your suffering?"
The shriveled up old woman laughed. "Many have tried. I have tried. But my magic has a will of its own and slays all who threaten me."
Stavin looked at the four amulets nestled in the pile of salt and nodded. "If it costs my life, so be it," he said softly to himself. Turning back to the adept, he bowed. "Cleanse that evil and I will try to end your suffering."
Adept Sharindis raised a finger and an actinic blaze engulfed the amulets. The circle of Arandar the Bright drew the power of the greatest of the Gods Above to her call. The light grew, becoming brighter than the sun, and Stavin had to shield his eyes to keep from going blind. In just a few eternal moments it was over and he went to look at the remains. The symbol of evil, the ancient glyph that was pronounced Eshokanal, was gone. All of the gold and diamonds remained, and he picked the amulets up and put them back in the saddlebags.
"And now it is your turn to try and give me what I want," the old woman said.
Stavin tossed the saddlebags over by the entry to the garden and brought his Dragon's Tongue to ready. Stepping over to face the old woman, he looked down at her and bowed deeply, then said, "I wish you peace and an end to your suffering, Shari," then struck.
He would never be able to fully describe what happened next. Light engulfed him, blinding him yet forcing him to see. The frail old woman was there with the blade of his Dragon's Tongue just a hair's-breadth away from her throat, yet overlaying her was the shade of a young woman with auburn hair and a welcoming smile. Forces fought to turn his Dragon's Tongue away and a thousand sledgehammers beat against his armor, but even the unbridled magic of a human adept could not prevail against that of the dragon.
The golden Dragon's Tongue cut through the old woman's neck and her head fell away. The attack against Stavin cut off just as suddenly, and he stumbled back a step. The body of the old woman had instantly dissolved into dust, and in the center of that dust stood the spirit of the tall, auburn-haired young woman.
"You have done what hundreds before you failed to do: you freed me from a curse of my own devising. Take with you my thanks and all that I possess, for you have at last given me what I truly desired." Then she was gone and Stavin saw what she had lain on.
Gold coins glinted in the sun. Hundreds, perhaps thousands of them were revealed as the dust the old woman had become blew away. Stavin was at first elated, then dismayed. "Oh, Gods Above," he all but whined, "how am I supposed to carry all of this?" The breeze seemed to giggle and brush his lips with a kiss, and then, without seeming to move, he was standing beside Trader Sahren's wagon, ankle deep in a pile of gold. As the shouting started he whispered, "Thank you, Shari," to the breeze and received a parting kiss from the adept's spirit.
Barvil and the other warriors surrounded Stavin as the crowd, which had fled from Stavin's sudden appearance, started forward. "Stay back!" Barvil shouted as he drew his sword.
"What happened?" a voice shouted.
Another asked, "Is that real?"
"Where did you come from?" a man at the front demanded.
Stavin held up his Dragon's Tongue by the center of the haft and the crowd quieted down. "Adept Sharindis is at peace," he announced loudly and the crowd drew back. He dropped the saddlebags that had somehow leapt back to his shoulder and stepped out of the pile of gold. He whispered, "Sometimes the price you pay is too high, no matter what the reward." Looking at Trader Sahren he said, "I need some sacks."
No sacks were to be found close at hand, but a bunch of clay jars were purchased from a nearby potter and Sahren joined Barvil, Karvik, and Stavin collecting the coins from the dust while Stavin told his story. The rest of the warriors stood guard, facing outward with bared weapons.
"So you think the spirit of this Adept Sharindis is responsible for your sudden appearance and riches?" Trader Sahren asked.
"She seems to have had an odd sense of humor, Ma'am," Stavin said as he picked up his saddle bags.
Trader Sahren chuckled. "If you can't take it with you, leave it to someone cute," she said, then laughed at Stavin, braying loudly and attracting everyone's attention. "Don't blush, Stavin. You are cute, and you know it. If I didn't have so much in common with your grandmother--But I do, so that's neither here nor there. You'll be going to the Gold Merchants in the morning. What about the amulets?"
Stavin pulled the amulets out of his saddle bags and displayed them. "She burned the evil one's glyph off them. Now they're just gold and diamond trinkets."
"Trinkets?" Sahren asked with a surprise to squeak in her voice. "Stavin, those are worth more than your pay last year."
Stavin looked at the amulets and shrugged. "I'll find a buyer in the low lands. The memories of what they cost are too fresh right now."
Chapter 11
IN THE MORNING, THE CARAVAN MOVED on with a stop at the Gold Merchants. It took all eleven of the warriors and Trader Sahren as well to take the jars of gold into the Chapter House. The gold was poured out and, contrary to what Stavin had expected, weighed instead of counted.
"Why did you weigh it?" he asked the room in general.
"Because you have coins from six kingdoms that date to several
eras. Coins change in value with each new design or size," one of the gold merchants explained. "Rather than try and figure it all out, we just weigh the gold and give you credit for the equivalent amount of Evandian crowns. The vast majority of this gold will be sold to His Majesty's Treasury to be melted down and re-struck."
"And you profit both ways," Trader Sahren said in a flat tone.
"Marginally," the man admitted. "Our agreement with his Majesty that gives us a monopoly on all gold sales limits us to one crown profit per hundred. This sum will net us about sixty-seven crowns. It's not as great as all that."
"Except you make that profit from Friend Stavin," Barvil said, looking the man in the eye.
"He could take it all with you--"
"No, we can't," Stavin said. "We know that as surely as you. What is the total?"
"By weight," the gold merchants said, "six thousand, seven hundred, and forty-six Evandian crowns."
"And how much do I get of that?" Stavin asked.
"Minus our one percent, you will receive six thousand, six hundred, and seventy-eight gold, five silver, and four copper sparks," the gold merchant replied.
Stavin nodded. "Have it added to my account," he said and watched as a large ledger book was brought out. His name and account information, including his withdrawal in Aravad, was toward the back. The gold merchants added the information and showed it to Stavin, then closed the book.
"Will there be anything else today, Friend Stavin?" the most senior of the gold merchants asked.
"No, thank you, Sir," Stavin said and turned to lead the way out of the Chapter House. When he reached the door he froze. The caravan was surrounded by troops, along with men and women in rich clothing.
An old man was helped forward by two slightly younger men and stopped facing Stavin. "You are Friend of Evandia Stavin Kel'Aniston, I take it," the old man said, making a statement rather than asking a question. "I am Varlain Zel'Orandan. These men and women behind me are my children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and cousins of every degree. It is our understanding that you killed Adept Sharindis yesterday."
"I did," Stavin admitted, keeping his head up by an act of will alone. "It was the price she demanded of me for cleansing four amulets of the taint of Eshokanal."
A ripple of revulsion ran through the crowd, and Stavin saw many people making signs to avert evil. Lord Zel'Orandan cleared his throat several times before he spoke again. "Speaking that name out loud was unnecessary, young man, and unwise. However, back to the matter at hand. We, the thousand or so you see here today, are all descendents of Adept Sharindis and her six children. We all knew her will, and the price she demanded of those who sought her services. For reasons that I'm sure you understand, few would accept her terms. When you didn't return to the major, it was assumed you had perished like all those who came before you. When we learned the truth, we came looking for you to thank you for the service you have done our family."
Stavin bowed deeply. "It was a high price."
The lord nodded. "You received her legacy, you know," he said. "Not only the gold, but the estate as well."
Stavin shook his head. "I have no use for such a palace, Sir," he managed to say.
"And none of us would wish to live there," Lord Zel'Orandan said.
"Is there another use for the building?" Barvil asked from behind Stavin's shoulder.
"That will be up to the new owner," Lord Zel'Orandan said, looking at Stavin.
Stavin suddenly felt trapped. "Sir, Lord Zel'Orandan, please, does anyone have an idea that will let someone else take over the estate?"
A group of soldiers stepped forward, led by Lord General Zel'Rantal. "I have a proposal, Friend Stavin, but it would net you little in coin."
Stavin looked at the ground and murmured, "I have received enough, and more than enough, Sir."
The general's face took on a thoughtful expression, and he spoke in a gentle tone as he continued. "Perhaps so. It is the tradition of the Evandian Army to care for the orphans of fallen soldiers, to see them raised and educated in keeping with the highest standards of the Army. This usually takes place in the fort, which works well for the boys who will one day become soldiers, but not always so well for the girls. With your indulgence, I would propose turning the old estate into a school for orphan girls of the Evandian Army."
Stavin perked up a little and looked at Barvil and Sahren before turning back to the general. "The army would take over the estate and see to its upkeep, Sir?" he asked and received a deep nod from the general. "Then let it be done. If it is possible, Sir, could you name the school after Sharindis? You already know my reasons."
"And great-grand-nanny Sharindis would approve as well," Lord General Zel'Rantal said with a slight bow.
Barvil interrupted then, stepping forward and bowing to the general. "Your pardon, Lord General Zel'Rantal, but we are all curious as to where all that gold came from."
The general looked at Barvil, then tilted his head to the side and looked at Barvil's shoulder. His lips formed a silent whistle for a moment, then he looked Barvil in the eye and answered. "For nearly two centuries people have been going to her, seeking help of one kind or another. What young Friend Stavin received was the gold those people carried, thinking they could buy her help. Hundreds of men and women have passed through the gates of that manor, but only Friend Stavin has returned." He looked at Stavin and bowed his head slightly.
Stavin bowed deeply in return. "Will you require anything else of me, my lords? My employer wishes to move on to her next stop," he said, looking back and forth between the nobles.
"No, Friend Stavin," Lord Zel'Orandan said with a smile. "I think there are enough witnesses here to let us do the paperwork without your signature." There was a scattering of laughter in the crowd and the old lord was helped to a waiting carriage. The rest of the crowd dispersed and soon only the caravan remained.
"You know, you could have sold an estate like that for several thousand crowns, Stavin," Trader Sahren said as she rested a hand on his shoulder.
Stavin shook his head and looked up at her. "Hers was a death I didn't want to profit from. If I hadn't seen her spirit and felt her will, I would have given them the gold as well."
There was a chuckle from the side and Karvik said, "I would have enjoyed listening to you try to explain that to Shari."
Stavin shook his head again, but he had a rueful smile now. "I don't think I would have had to, Kar."
Chapter 12
SHARINDIS WAS WELL PAST THE HALFWAY point of her pregnancy, and the added burden of her unwieldy belly was making her far more clumsy than the lack of sight alone ever had.
Her father started making it his morning duty to come and walk her to the archive every day. "Slow and easy, Shari," he said the first time he escorted her.
"I know the way, daddy," she replied. "I'm just a bit off balance right now."
"Yes, and a fall could hurt you and my grandson, so you'll take it slow and easy," he replied, holding her arm.
"Even Healer Kel'Kadus can't tell if it's a boy or a girl yet, daddy," she laughed.
"Maybe he can't, or won’t, but your mother and the other women all say the signs are right for it to be a boy. Beside," he added, smiling down at her, "boys first is a trait we and the Kel'Anistons share."
Sharindis cradled her bulging belly and shook her head. "We shall see."
Charvil delivered her to the archive and she went to her desk by the window. In deference to her condition, her old stool had been replaced by a well-padded chair, and she eased down onto it. The extra weight was beginning to pull at her back muscles and she spent a moment rubbing them before beginning work.
She was copying yet another ancient scroll of laws that had been handed down from the Kingdom of Farindia, and the task absorbed her. It was fascinating to read how the old kings had ruled, and the laws they had decreed to govern their people. Mid day came, but it was her mother who came to take her to eat.
Nahrana walked
into the archive office and said, "Shari, you have to eat properly. Close your ink pot and come away from there. You're eating for two now."
Shari rolled her eyes without looking toward the door. "Mother, I'm fine. You know I don't eat much during the day."
"You will from now on," Nahrana countered. "Your father may be able to go all day without food, but you can't. Your baby needs you to eat right. Now close your ink and come away from there."
"Go with her, Shari," Master Scribe Kel'Zorgan said from the doorway. "It's been thirty years since the last time I managed to win an argument with her."
"Thank you, Arlen," Nahrana said with a deep nod to her oldest brother. "But you didn't win. I just refused to stoop to your level."
"You threatened to knife me in my sleep, you brat," Arlen snapped.
Nahrana laughed. "Only because you threatened to spank me."
He transferred his attention to Sharindis and sighed. "I still can't win an argument with her. Go with her, Shari. You're not as stubborn as she is."
"Yes, Master Kel'Zorgan." Sharindis sighed. She put her crystal in its box and closed her ink pot, then stood and confidently walked through the cluttered room to her mother's side. Nahrana took her by the arm and led her out of the archive and back to her home rather than the Kel'Aniston's house.
"Are you craving anything, Shari?" Nahrana asked.
"Sour garlic pickles," Sharindis admitted.
"You've never liked pickles of any kind, Shari," her mother said. "I guess your son does."
Sharindis chuckled. "Everyone seems to think I'm carrying a boy, Mom. Except Healer Kel'Kadus. He won't commit either way."
Nahrana chuckled as well. "All of the signs point that way, Shari. Is there anything else you're craving? It's always wise to obey your cravings. That's the Gods Above telling you what to eat."
"Curdled cream, but I've always loved that. And carrots. Radishes."
"I craved radishes with you," Nahrana said with a smile.
Sharindis let her mother seat her at the table, then she and Varik served a hearty meal of bread, sausage, cheese, and pickles.
Traders and Traitors (Stavin DragonBlessed Book 2) Page 8
