Lambert smiled. “Yes, get him boys.”
Two of Butter Bill’s men turned and started attacking Butter Bill and his other companions. Lambert calmly drew his sword, turned, and sliced the neck of the shocked Fredrick.
Lambert turned to the two remaining men. Blood dripped off their swords as they waited for instructions. “Right. As per our agreement, you two now own the Blubbering Bimbo.”
“The Blustering Brenda,” corrected one of the men.
“Sorry,” Lambert said. “I always remember the B part. The rest gets blurry. Right, as I was saying, you fine gentlemen now own the Blustering Brenda. And, boys, please remember to pay your taxes. All sorts of nasty things can happen when you don’t. And clean up, will you? All this blood on the floor can’t be good for business.” Lambert looked around the bar to the patrons who hadn’t ran out when the fighting started. A surprising number were still at their tables watching. “Harrbow is part of Tarnstead and always will be. Not paying your taxes is treason, and this is what happens to traitors.”
Lambert walked out of the bar and headed to the stables to find his horse. He still had a long list of places to visit.
A king’s rider was waiting for him at the stables. The man handed Lambert a note bearing the king’s symbol.
Return to Progoh immediately. Your services needed.
Lambert smiled at the dispatcher who’d brought him the note. He gave the man a gold coin and thanked him.
“Good news?” asked the rider.
“Profitable,” said Lambert as he mounted his horse. Any time the king got impatient it was gold in Lambert’s pockets. He wondered who the king wanted killed as he headed towards the capital. Not that it mattered, for the money the king was paying him, Lambert would do whatever the king wanted.
8
Demarion Black stood at the front of the class. His stern gaze examined everyone in the classroom.
Kiana smiled to herself. Demarion was an intense man. He took magic very seriously and while he was friendly outside of the classroom he was all business inside.
“Alright, would anyone care to tell me a little about runes?” asked Demarion.
The students all sat quietly. No one dared move.
“No volunteers? Okay, in that case, Miss Clairmont, why don’t you start.”
Kiana’s smile disappeared. “Runes are symbols that have magical powers.”
“Symbols with magical power? Why would we need them?” asked Demarion Black, pressing Kiana to further her answer.
“Runes last a long time. A rune can be used when you don’t need magic right away.”
“A terrible description, Miss Clairmont, but it will suffice for now,” said Demarion before he turned to the rest of the class. “To be fair to Miss Clairmont, runes are one of the least understood forms of magic today. Magic is all around us, in the soil, in the air, in the water, in your own blood. We use that energy to create spells, some we make up ourselves with imagination, others have been handed down from generation to generation. The magical energy in certain plants when combined gives us magical potions, some combinations are stronger than others. Runes are somewhat like that. They have been passed down generation to generation by mages. The origins of these powerful spells are less known. Some believe runes are the alphabet of the gods, and each symbol is tied to god. Others believe powerful mages once found a way to pull magical energy from the seven hells and they tied each type of magic to a symbol. Other mages have different theories, but that is a story for another lesson. Today, we are simply getting an introduction to runes and their uses. Master Rosa, what are some of the uses of runes?”
Rayan looked up from his notes. “Locks, traps, healing, illumination.”
“Good, and how are runes activated?” asked Demarion Black.
“By touching them, or proximity, sometimes by sounds or time. It depends on the runes used and what they are written on,” said Rayan.
“Excellent. Now, you all have been assigned groups. Find your work partners and get started.”
Kiana grabbed her books and headed over to Rayan. Rose and Aspen also were moving their things to join the older boy. “Looks like you are group leader, Rayan, Demarion liked your answers.”
Rayan grinned. “I don’t think he liked any of the answers. He just hated mine less than yours.”
“So, what are we working on?” asked Rose.
Rayan shrugged. “I don’t know.”
Kiana frowned. “I thought he handed you the instructions.”
“No, he handed me a list,” said Rayan.
“Everyone have their group and their list?” asked Demarion Black. “This is a bit of a competition. The group that finds the most runes will get a special set of rune books. You have two days until our next class. Team with the most runes then wins. Every rune is hidden within the canyon. Be warned, some of them are unpleasant runes to find by mistake.”
Kiana looked at Rayan. “What does the list say?”
“The list doesn’t make any sense,” said Rayan. “It is a list of weird words and phrases. Maybe it is a code?”
“What is the first one?” asked Rose.
“Aromatic assault,” said Rayan, reading the list.
“Stink attack,” said Aspen with a giggle.
“Sounds exactly like the kind of rune we don’t want to find by mistake,” said Kiana as she put her hand out. “Let me see the list.”
Rayan handed her the list. She read it out loud to the others. It really was a confusing list. The second thing the list said was big floating dust. The third was spin around and around.
“What a strange list,” said Rose. “I don’t think there any clues on that list.”
“Agreed,” said Rayan. “We need to start searching the canyon for any strange writing.”
“Are you sure?” asked Kiana. “I would bet those are clues.”
“Okay, assuming they are clues, how do we figure them out?” asked Rayan.
“We guess,” said Kiana. “Start with the second one. I think I know what it means.”
“Big floating dust?” asked Rayan. “How are we going to find floating dust.”
“What did we spend months floating?” asked Kiana.
“Stones for the outer canyon walls,” said Rayan.
“Big dust,” said Rose with a grin.
“Exactly,” said Kiana.
“The canyon wall has the first rune,” said Aspen. “Let’s go.”
Rayan looked over at Kiana as they started heading out of the magic school to head to the canyon. Aspen and Rose were walking ahead of them and were deep in their own conversation. “How are you finding Elderwood?”
“It’s different from Pailtar, that is for sure. However, I like it here.”
“You’re not bored?” asked Rayan.
Kiana grinned. “Pailtar certainly was an exciting place to grow up and being in the Thieves’ Guild always meant there was adventure and danger around every corner, but I like the people here and my mother is happy again. Verin is a good man and I’m glad they are together. What about you? What do you think of Elderwood.”
“It is interesting, building a city from scratch, using magic and man power together to build something special. I’ve seen too many places that were either totally corrupt or too weak to defend themselves. Solotine, despite its citizens’ backwards thoughts on magic, is still a very pleasant place compared to other parts of the world.”
Kiana studied the young man as they walked. He was a bit of a mystery to her. He was polite and friendly, but it was obvious to her there was much more to him than met the eye. Sometimes, she saw it in his eyes, the look of someone who’d seen much despair. “Why are you a student in the magic school?”
Rayan chuckled. “To learn magic of course. Why else would one join a magic school?”
“You are not a novice magic user, I would venture a bet you know more than some of our teachers.”
“Yes, but the magic I’ve learned isn’t always the same as
what is being taught here. Even the strongest mages can learn new things.”
“But why not be a teacher?” asked Kiana. “Share your knowledge with us.”
“Some knowledge shouldn’t be shared, especially with novice magic users. Perhaps in time I will teach you and some of the others I find trustworthy some of what I’ve learned. However, the mage who taught me was a warrior mage. He used magic for killing and conquering. I like the way magic is taught here. Using magic to build and as an art form to make people’s lives better is how magic should be used.”
“You trust me but not others?” asked Kiana, curious as to what he meant by that.
“Yes. You studied at the Thieves’ Guild, you are not innocent in the art of deception, and while the guild had a much broader moral code then one finds in other places, you still understand evil and the dangers of power. Some of these young mages from Balta have never seen battle, never dealt with danger. They only learn magic in a classroom and in a safe environment. They theoretically know how dangerous magic can be, but they’ve never had to kill anyone or knows how that feels.”
Kiana didn’t reply. She just kept walking. They were almost to the outer walls now and soon would be searching for signs of runes on the walls, but that was far from her mind. Her thoughts were filled with Rayan’s words. Did her experiences make her better able to cope with certain things than someone who’d grown up safe in Balta? Yes, there was an undeniable truth to what he was saying. She was a much different person now than she’d been even a year ago. Joining the Guild and going through the battle with the armies of Morthon had changed her. Her innocence was gone. She’d always known the world was a harsh place. One didn’t grow up in Pailtar without knowing that, but she’d never faced true danger or suffered loss until then. To join the Guild, she’d had to prove her bravery and her skills. They hadn’t given her easy tasks, and when the war came, the tasks became even more dangerous. Having her father and many of her friends die during the attacks had changed her as well. After a few minutes of silence, she replied, “I’m not sure what I’ve gone through makes me a more trustworthy person. I’d trust Rose, and she hasn’t had the training I have.”
“Rose is unique. She has seen as much suffering as anyone here, losing her parents, her friends, almost her entire village. Then she suffered more when her sister died. But she has her sister’s spirit to guide her now. She is someone I trust. And I perhaps misspoke when I explained how my trust is earned. Some of the magic I’ve learned is very powerful, it can kill many people. If a young or inexperienced mage were in battle for the first time and panicked, they could end up killing themselves and their companions. You and Rose are not the types to panic. You would rise to the occasion and make the right decisions.”
Kiana was surprised when Rayan mentioned Rose’s sister. She thought the nature of the girl’s necklace was a secret. “You know about Rose.”
“Yes. Nathan told me what happened in the north. I’ve seen spirit magic before, so I knew what to look for. I’m glad she is able to communicate with Ava. It is a gift to be able to keep that connection with a loved one even after they pass to the spirit world.”
Kiana wanted to ask Rayan more about spirit magic, but they’d arrived at the walls and Rose and Aspen were waiting for them.
“We can’t see any runes,” said Aspen.
“It’s a big wall, perhaps we just need to look closer, they might be hidden.”
“Sometimes runes are hidden by magic,” said Rayan. “I have a spell that will make any magic more visible.” He then closed his eyes and raised his hand so his palm was facing the wall. He then pushed his hand forward.
“There,” said Rose as she pointed to a large rune that started to glow.”
“There’s another one over here,” said Aspen, pointing to her right.
“There are two more on this side of the gates,” said Kiana. She then compared them to the runes the other girls were pointing to. “They are the same symbols.”
“What are they?” asked Rose.
Rayan stepped up to the wall and ran his finger along one of the runes. “This one is an earth rune. It makes the walls stronger. It helps protect the walls from projectiles. Using a catapult against this wall wouldn’t work very well.”
“I know this one,” said Kiana. “It is another protection rune. This one is an elemental rune.”
“Why would they put an elemental rune on a wall?” asked Aspen. “You can’t burn stones.”
“A lightning strike can blow a hole in a wall. Elemental mages can destroy walls using a combination of fire and ice. Rapid heating and cooling of stone can destroy them,” said Rayan.
“Wow,” said Aspen. “These walls must be impenetrable.”
Rayan shook his head. “No, a powerful mage, or enough of them could eventually wear down the defensive spells. But you are right, the runes add much to the strength of the wall.”
“Well, that explains why Demarion Black wanted us to come see the wall. Any ideas about the rest?” said Kiana.
“I think I have the first one,” said Rose. “The stinkiest things in the valley are the animals, and an attack or an assault would need warriors, or in this case knights.”
“Horse poop,” said Rayan as he figured out her logic. “The stables. Good thinking, Rose.”
Rose smiled.
When they reached the royal stables, Kiana was impressed by what she saw. She had never visited them, but they impressive. The stables were part of a bigger compound dedicated to the Baltan knights. The compound held the knights’ living quarters, their training grounds, and the stables. There were a dozen riders in the training grounds jousting while others were practicing their sword skills.
As they walked into the stables the first thing Kiana noticed was how nice the area smelled. A mixture of cinnamon and spices filled the air.
“Oh, it smells really good,” said Aspen. “Like strawberries.”
“Elderberries,” said Rose. “It smells like elderberries.”
“It smells like almonds and lavender,” said Rayan.
While they had walked from the wall to the stables, Rayan had been teaching Kiana the rune reveal spell. Kiana decided now was as good a time as any to try it out. She closed her eyes and lifted her hand. She pictured in her mind runes becoming bright and colorful.
“There,” said Aspen, pointing to one of the stable posts. The rune was glowing orange and yellow.
“A scent spell,” said Rayan. “Instead of smelling manure, anyone who walks into the stables smells an aroma they enjoy.
“Whoever came up with that spell is my hero,” said Aspen. “So much better than smelling manure. I am going to put that rune in my brother’s room, so I don’t have to smell his feet.”
Kiana chuckled. “Good idea.”
“It’s almost supper time. We can work on the list again tomorrow.”
“I have four classes tomorrow,” said Rose.
“I have three,” said Aspen.
“What about you, Kiana?” asked Rayan.
“I have three. Potions with these two monkeys, and then I have illusions and weapons training.”
Rose wrinkled her nose then started bending over while scratching her armpits and making her eyes go big while staring at Kiana.
“Oo, oo, ooh,” grunted Rose as she pretended to be a monkey.
“Enough monkey business. How about we split the rest of the list up and each of us takes one monkey? You take Rose and I’ll take Aspen? I’ll bet a copper that Aspen and I get more than you two.”
“I’ll take that bet. My monkey is trained to sniff out runes,” said Kiana. “Hopefully we can get the rest of the list done before next class.”
“You better hurry, Rayan, Kiana and I already have our first one done,” said Rose.
“We do?” asked Kiana.
“Yup,” said Rose with a smirk.
“Which one?” asked Rayan.
“The third one, spin around and around.”
�
�Good. I had no idea about that one,” said Rayan. “See you ladies tomorrow.”
“I should go find my brother. Who knows what kind of trouble he is getting into right now,” said Aspen.
Kiana turned to Rose. “Care to show me the rune?”
“Sure. It’s on my way home, you can come have dinner with us.”
Kiana and Rose started walking to the castle. Kiana enjoyed the younger girl’s company. Rose was very mature for her age, but she also had a good sense of humor and was whip smart, which made for good banter.
“Rayan is cute,” said Rose.
“I hadn’t noticed.”
Rose laughed. “Uh huh. Tell me another one. I’ve seen you checking him out.”
Rayan, with his cute dimples and hypnotizing purple eyes, was very attractive, but it didn’t matter. She would think it, but not admit it. “He’s too old for me.”
Shaking her head, Rose replied. “Are you kidding? You are sixteen. In Balta many girls are already married. Besides, Rayan is only twenty. He’s not that much older than you.”
Kiana was surprised to hear Rayan was only twenty. He seemed much older. “And how do you know how old he is?”
“I asked him,” said Rose. “I wanted to know when he started his apprenticeship as a warrior-mage, which he started at twelve.”
Kiana raised an eyebrow. “You want to be a warrior-mage?”
“Yes. I was hoping Rayan would teach me.”
“Why Rayan? Why not Nathan?” Nathan Stoneblood was already a fierce warrior and arguably had the most magical potential of anyone she knew because of his ability to create bloodstones, the magic infused gemstones. Her own magical ring had been made by him and she knew from experience how much it helped her.
“Because Nathan is different. His strengths are different. I’ll never have his size or strength, and his magic is different. Besides, he wouldn’t like it if I asked him for help. He is overprotective because of what happened to my sister.”
Treachery in Tarnstead (Stoneblood Saga Book 5) Page 8
