The man evaporated with a truncated scream of horror, as he was consumed by the pillar of light she unleashed upon him. A smoking yard wide hole in the street was all that remained to remind anyone of his passing.
Ari floated to the ground easily, letting her shield drop. She had only nine of her spirits left, and one of those that remained was nearly depleted by this battle. She was glad this victory hadn't cost her even more.
Ari stood proudly, ignoring her nudity and looked up at High Lady Vallad. Lucia Vallad inclined her head to her. She and the two Wizards with her apported away.
* * *
Thorel was so happy that Ari was alright, there were no words for his joy. Now he knew much better what Ari must have felt last night while watching him in his duel. His stomach began slowly unknotting itself.
He was disturbed at seeing her naked there on the street, and not even seeming to care. What disturbed him more was the fact that the scars on her body were far worse than he could have imagined.
He was standing at the edge of the shattered stonework that had been by the gate which was now a gaping hole in the wall.
Ari turned and looked up at him. Thorel could see her personal guard coming through the gate now. Silene was holding a cloak in her hand.
“Did you see that?” She said excitedly in his mind. “I took a staffed Wizard down, and I am but an apprentice!” She whirled on her bare feet excitedly, reminding him of a little girl running out without her parents knowing.
“I saw it, my love,” he thought back to her. He was still disturbed by what he had seen though. The amount of power the two of them wielded completely boggled his mind.
Just as Silene reached her, a stone struck Ari on the side of the head. She spun as if in a daze, and fell heavily to the street.
“Soul stealing witch!” A woman cried, as several of the onlookers began pelting Ari, Silene and the others in her personal guard with rocks.
“Protect the Mistress! Kill them! Kill them all!” A guardsman on the wall called out.
The arrows began falling like rain among the mob of commoners. Screams came as quickly as the arrows did. The people who could run fled from the Dothranan guards’ brutal counter-attack.
Horrified at the slaughter he was witnessing, Thorel tried to focus his mind. He had to help Ari now. He dropped the bow he was holding and jumped from the ten-yard tall wall.
Which was probably the worst idea he'd ever had in his whole life, he realized as soon as he did it. He saw the ground rush up at him quickly, with his heart rate matching it.
Thorel met the ground; he landed on his feet and palms, unhurt. The old tom cat's spirit looked at him and licked his paw, then ran towards Ari.
He followed the cat's spirit at a run. What the hell just happened? He wondered as he reached her and Silene.
Ari's personal guard were battered, but aside from one man's smashed cheek they seemed fairly well considering the number of stones on the ground near them. Two of them held Ari, she was bruised all over, and blood ran from the side of her head.
“I'll take her,” he told them. They looked reluctant until Silene spoke.
“Let him help, he's her betrothed,” she ordered.
He took her into hand easily, and Silene draped the cloak over her. Thorel touched her and began doing the work to heal her as Feran and dozens of guards stepped forward to cover their retreat.
Ari, I love you. You will be alright. He thought fervently as he healed her fractured skull.
Sunday May 26th 1624th year of the First Great City
Preparations
Ari's morning had been unpleasant, to put it mildly. The only good part of it had been waking up beside Thorel.
General Tarsis and Siri had joined them for breakfast. When they finished, Ari dismissed Thorel. She loved him, but he had a lot to learn before she felt he could really add much to these kinds of meetings.
After she had been stoned by the commoners, the guards had killed eighty-six of them.
Siri had taken the situation into hand though: with the General's assistance, she'd had the forty-two wounded commoners brought into the hold to be treated by their Doctors. When Ari suggested punishment, Siri adamantly advised against it.
“Mistress, if we punish them after we offered aid, we will look like monsters, and a riot is certain to follow. We can't afford that with the north gate's destruction. If we operate under the assumption that all of those involved in your stoning were killed, we will have a legal basis to deny paying death tolls to any of those with families, and appear to be merciful to those who were in the wrong place at the wrong time,” she said firmly.
“I agree, Mistress. I placed an entire company of archers within bow-shot of the north gate last night, just in case there was any organized attempt,” General Tarsis said. The man was bald except for a thin wisp of white hair which started over his ears covering the back of his head. He was in his early sixties, with a weathered face and calloused hands. He sat easily in his half-plate armor, Ari had never seen the man without it. According to Siri, he was the only person in this Hold that could best her in single combat.
“Very well,” Ari conceded. An entire company was twelve thousand people, she knew. If they were stationed out there ever since she was knocked senseless, the General took this very seriously.
“One-hundred-forty-three buildings were put to the torch last night, but only twenty-three were destroyed, Mistress. The Guild masters of masonry and carpentry assure me the others can be salvaged,” Siri reported.
“Good. What did we lose?” Ari said, putting her fingers to her throbbing temples. She'd had a headache since she'd awakened. It was obviously due to illness or stress: she had found nothing physically wrong when she had probed herself. Thorel had done an excellent job healing her. His affinity was definitely water, and he had the healing talent.
“Just houses and private businesses, Mistress. We have housed the homeless here in the Manor until their homes can be rebuilt. The business owners did inquire about assistance in rebuilding. The four I spoke of were a total loss. They are also the family of sworn Holders, Mistress. I would advise you to seriously consider it,” Siri said, then took a drink of her water.
“Very well. Have the business owners sit with the guild master of trade to discuss a satisfactory arrangement,” Ari said before taking a drink of her coffee. She had to show her Holders that she would take care of their families, even when it wasn't directly in her interests.
“There appeared to be a full platoon of House Quarrel soldiers that arrived during the day yesterday. I would guess that most were non-commissioned officers or higher ranked by the skills they displayed. Exactly the quality of men and women I would choose for an operation of that type. They were quite effective. Over a thousand of our holders were killed, Mistress. There were at least five-hundred other casualties as well,” Tarsis said seriously.
“I was able to confirm this by interrogating prisoners the General provided Mistress. They were very disciplined and did not break easily,” Siri told her. Ari noted the dark circles under Siri's eyes: she had likely been up through the night to acquire this information by the look of her.
“How many did we kill?” Ari asked, her headache reaching a new height of discomfort.
“So far Mistress, we have counted about eight-hundred enemy combatants. I'm certain others will be found, but the number will not grow much I'm afraid,” Tarsis shook his head in dismay.
“Miss Fenel? A messenger has arrived from the High Lord,” came a thin female voice from one of the stones in her open case.
Siri touched the stone; “What is the body of the message?” she asked.
“The High Lord orders the Mistress's presence in his audience chamber no later than the tenth hour, ma'am,” The woman said.
“Understood. Thank you Henna,” Siri said.
“You're welcome, ma'am,” the thin voice replied.
Ari looked at the clock. It was half past the eighth hour now.
“I am not looking forward to this. I need to get ready now,” She said, getting up.
“You are both dismissed,” Ari told them.
General Tarsis and Siri both stood, they bowed to her and took their leave.
* * *
Ari found herself in the High Lord's audience chamber on the one-hundred-ninety-sixth floor of his tower. It was barely the tenth hour now. At least the damnable headache she had was diminished though.
Jacon Quarrel knelt beside her in the high domed room with its stained glass ceiling. As usual, House Vallad guards filled the two balconies holding their loaded crossbows. Lucia Vallad stood beside her husband while he sat on the throne, wearing her white Master's robe, another House Vallad Master Wizard stood on the other side of his throne.
“You have broken your surrender that you pledged before my Lady Wife, Lord Quarrel. What do you have to say about this?” Erlac asked looking at him intently.
“My surrender was nothing but a convenience to buy me and my allies time to regroup, Milord. No disrespect to you or your Lady wife was intended,” Jacon said, bowing his shaved tattooed head.
“I see,” he said, thinking on Quarrel's words for a moment. “I can see why, considering the position you were in. But breaking this surrender will have a cost, Lord Quarrel.”
“What cost is that, Milord?” Quarrel asked with a grimace.
“You will be paying the death tolls of those who were not Dothranan Holders that were killed last night. Including those in the mob that attacked Lady Dothranan,” Vallad said with his intent gaze on Quarrel.
Yes!!! Ari thought with excitement. That was going to make the master treasurer ecstatic when she heard this news.
Quarrel was obviously taken aback. “But why, Milord? She did not defend them well enough, that is the accepted precedent! And the ones who attacked her had nothing to do with me!”
Lucia Vallad spoke. “Your soldiers were indiscriminate, Quarrel. You could have ordered them to kill Holders only. Also, if it was not for Wizard Hanar destroying the north gate of Dothranan Hold, there would have been no conflict between him and Lady Dothranan, hence no mob of ignorant commoners to attack her. Everything that occurred happened due to your orders, and your choice to break the lawful surrender you gave Great Lady Dothranan before me. Is that not so?” She said coldly.
Quarrel sighed in resignation. “It is so, Milady.”
“Very well then. You will pay those tolls, Lord Quarrel. Now, to the next matter,” High Lord Vallad said easily.
“Since this conflict occurred last night, there have been several hundred commoners as well as some highly placed citizens and Legion Officers that have been demanding more than a simple toll for the losses of their family members last night. Crown Lord Kendal has been quite busy trying to see as many of them as possible,” he began.
“They want justice, not just a toll. I did consider for a moment placing your head on a spike outside my gate. That would satisfy them quite nicely, don't you think, Lord Quarrel?” Erlac Vallad said with an unpleasant smile.
Ari was enjoying this conversation more and more as it went on. She found it nice that someone else was the focus of the High Lord's ire for a change.
“Milord! That is not even legal, I did break my surrender, but I did nothing to break the laws of the realm!” Quarrel said defiantly.
“Legal? Oh, I think the fact that you knelt here, in this very room and lied to my wife about your surrender and then broke your word would make it a very different matter. Perhaps a personal one, but I assure you, if I wish to put your head on a spike, I will,” Erlac Vallad said with no humor whatsoever.
The lift doors opened behind them; Ari and Quarrel both turned their heads while kneeling to see four House Vallad Wizards wearing their Master's robes step from the lift with their staffs.
Ari smiled enthusiastically at this. Quarrel paled visibly.
“But I have decided, for the moment anyway, not to,” the High Lord said to Ari's severe disappointment.
“Thank you Milord,” Quarrel said, obviously shaken.
Erlac smiled. “Do not thank me. For now, you will be getting exactly what you had tried to avoid before. Open war with House Dothranan.”
“Milord!” Quarrel and Ari both said at once. Ari had not expected this at all.
Vallad gestured for silence. “You wish to destroy House Quarrel?” He asked Ari.
“Yes Milord, I do. But at a time of my choosing,” she said honestly.
“The time for that choice has passed. By breaking his surrender, House Quarrel has declared this war in spirit if not in words. You are to each gather your allies and ready your armies. I have had enough of the two of you destroying my city a piece at a time. Also, if either of you conduct any part of this war inside my city, meaning outside of your Holds, I will enter this war with my armies and allies on the side of your opponent. Do you understand?” He asked sternly.
“Yes Milord,” they each said in turn.
“Good. Now get out of my sight. The next time I see either of you, I want one of you to be dead,” he snarled.
“Yes Milord,” they each said, and rose to go to the lift with their personal guard. The four House Vallad Wizards walked with them.
Ari touched Quarrels' mind when the lift doors closed.
“There is nothing he can do to make us fight,” she told him.
“Do you really expect me to sit idle while you assemble your armies? What kind of fool do you take me for?” He thought back to her.
“A unique and special kind if you are going to let that fop goad you into this,” Ari thought in frustration.
“I don't have to listen to any more of your insults. If you touch my mind again, I will burn yours,” he thought angrily.
Ari sighed. It wasn't as if she was afraid of war, she just wanted to choose her own time. She needed time to get more Wizards. Vallad had to know there was nothing he could do to make them fight, but it only took one of them to be too bullheaded for his ploy to work.
* * *
Thorel walked to the kitchens with Korin so he could introduce him to Nigel. Korin had been alarmed when he'd told him about the attack last night. He had known something was going on, but when he'd gone to find Thorel the guards wouldn't let him into the room.
He'd been frustrated of course, but now he knew it wouldn't have made any difference.
Thorel had stopped Korin before they went into the kitchens. “There was something I wanted to give you before I forget.”
“What is it?” He asked.
Thorel pulled the pearl necklace out of his pocket. “For Laren. I remember she told you she wanted one.”
“By the spirits! You should give that to your betrothed, not me!” Korin said with feeling.
“Ari won't wear necklaces. So I decided to give this to you, for Laren,” Thorel thought about the conversation he'd had with Ari, yesterday morning after breakfast.
“No thank you, Thorel. I have many more valuable necklaces, but I won't wear those either,” she told him.
“Why not?” He asked, genuinely curious.
“Some girls at the Academy used to make sport of me. My father had given me a gold necklace with a teardrop ruby on it. I liked it very much. I remember my first week, a few of them gathered, and ripped it off of my neck. It cut into my flesh and was very painful,” she recounted, a distant look in her eyes.
“By the spirits, Ari. What did you do to them?” He asked in shock.
“What did I do? Nothing. I was a just a bare apprentice and only fourteen years old. I told my father what happened, of course. He went to Headmaster Stiral and dealt with it. Then my stepmother punished me for wasting his time with such a trivial matter,” she said with a dark look in her eyes.
“Well, there are no girls that would dare lay their hands on you in such a way now,” Thorel said with a smile.
Ari smiled. “True. But I prefer not to wear something that could be used as a weapon against me. I would suggest you do
the same.”
That exchange still disturbed Thorel. But it still did not explain the thick scar he had seen on her neck. He knew better than to press his questions though: she was sensitive about her scars.
“I always told her I would get her one if I ever became a Lord,” Korin thought out loud.
“Well, you're a few years late then,” Thorel said with a smile.
Korin smiled ironically. “I suppose I am. Thorel, Laren doesn't know,” he said as he took the valuable necklace.
“Laren doesn't know what?” Thorel asked in confusion.
“That I'm a Lord. I never told her,” Korin said, looking ashamed.
“I suppose there wasn't a need to since you didn't use your authority,” Thorel said thoughtfully.
“Exactly. But with everything that's happened here, I guess I have to now,” he said unhappily.
Thorel nodded. “Well, I suppose you will. I hope that will help you bribe her off so she doesn't beat you with one of her wooden spoons!” He said with a laugh.
Korin joined in the laughter wholeheartedly. “I hope so. Either that or she'll be beating me more. “Why didn't you get me one of these years ago if you were a Lord all this time?” He said mimicking Laren's scolding voice quite well.
Thorel laughed heartily at that.
* * *
Ari's carriage arrived in the manor's stables. She had contacted Siri's and General Tarsis's stones to let them know that war had been declared, and she needed to hold a war council as soon as she returned.
War. She wasn't an expert on this subject, but she knew well enough that it was wise to choose your own battles, and not let your enemy choose them for you. Her father had been an expert on the subject; which was why he had been the Crown General of Vallad for a short time.
“Clear!” Came from the two of her personal guard that had exited.
Ari walked out with Silene and her other guard following. Siri was there with General Tarsis. Their conversation quieted when she exited.
Spirit of Magik (The Dothranan Chronicles Book 1) Page 48
