There wasn’t much chance for any real conversation during the meal because the serving staff was constantly bringing new dishes and trays, and what talk there was focused mostly on the food. Alexander offered his compliments and genuine gratitude to Emily for going to such great lengths in his honor. He didn’t think she was going to stop smiling at his kind words.
Lucky was simply delighted. He tried each and every item that came to the table. He was unabashed in his pleasure and effusive in his praise for Emily and her staff. Even Anatoly seemed to be enjoying himself, although he was also keeping a wary eye on the guests. Alexander suspected that a room with this many people in it represented an inherent threat to the big man-at-arms.
As the meal wound down and the main courses began to be removed to make room for the desserts and pastries, conversation in the room began to build. Mostly, each table discussed among themselves the changes that were likely now that Alexander had come. It struck him as odd that this secluded little mountain valley had been waiting for him and preparing for his arrival for the past two thousand years. He still couldn’t quite fathom the scope of Mage Cedric’s preparations. The Rebel Mage must have been truly guilt stricken by his failure to permanently end the tyranny of the Reishi and the fact that Phane, perhaps the most dangerous of the Reishi line, had escaped into the future, far out of Mage Cedric’s reach. These people were his legacy. He set this entire valley apart from the rest of the Seven Isles, protected from the inevitable political upheaval of the world, to await the time when the tyranny of the Reishi would awaken again to consume the lives and liberty of the innocent.
The burden of Alexander’s duty settled once again on his shoulders when he saw Jack take a position at the left end of the head table. Jack did seem to have a masterful grasp of timing. The assembled guests were just starting to settle after the feast; most were picking at half-eaten plates of food while sipping glasses of wine, flagons of ale, or goblets of spirits. There was a natural lull in the flow of conversation and Jack stepped in to fill the void.
He caught Alexander’s eye with a subtle motion and gave him a look as if asking permission to proceed. Alexander nodded. As much as he was enjoying the evening, he reminded himself that he had a purpose here. He had to win the support of the nobles and the best way to do that was to win over the people in this room. If the craftsmen, shopkeepers, and farmers gave him their allegiance, the nobles would have no choice but to lend their support as well. They couldn’t afford to be seen hoarding their wealth when those who had far less gave their support so freely.
Jack took up a fine crystal chalice and a small silver spoon. He checked his position and cleared his throat. Alexander watched the young bard take a deep breath before raising his head and his glass. The clear chime of the crystal chalice brought the gathering to silent attention.
“My lords and ladies, craftsmen and shopkeepers, landholders and commoners, Warden and Lady Alaric, I stand before you this night to recount the journey of Lord Alexander which brought him here to your fine hall and your generous hospitality.”
Jack set the glass and spoon on the edge of the table and clasped his hands easily behind his back. His voice carried to every corner of the hall with practiced ease but without sounding strained or overtaxed in the least.
“A fortnight ago, Alexander Valentine was hunting wolves in the north pasture of his family property with his brother and sister, when they were attacked by surprise. An agent of the Reishi Protectorate shot Darius Valentine through the chest with a poisoned arrow.” Jack paused as the crowd gasped collectively. Alexander held his breath and his composure even as Isabel took his hand under the table. He glanced at Abigail and saw the tears brimming in her eyes.
“Lord Alexander was quick to respond with an arrow of his own, bringing the enemy’s horse down with a single snap shot. He and his sister Abigail rode hard with their mortally wounded brother to seek the help and healing of their family alchemist, but the poison was too potent. Darius Valentine was the first life taken by the Reishi in two thousand years.” Jack paused and looked down in deference for a moment. The room fell deathly silent.
“The night Darius Valentine died, Phane Reishi revealed himself to the world. You all heard him arrive. You all felt the magic of the warning spell cast so long ago by Mage Cedric. In that moment, as that wave of magic passed through the whole of the Seven Isles, the sacred Mark of Cedric was burned into the side of Alexander Valentine’s neck.”
Jack took a sip of water while whispers raced through the room. “Before dawn of the very next morning, Phane sent a zombie demon to attack Valentine Manor and kill Lord Alexander. His brave parents, Duncan and Bella Valentine, faced the netherworld beast to protect their children. To this day, Lord Alexander does not know if his very own mother and father survived that battle, but he does know that their unflinching sacrifice bought him his survival. The last time he looked at his childhood home, it was in flames.”
Alexander held Isabel’s hand for dear life as he struggled to maintain his composure. He was worried sick about his parents. The evening’s festivities had taken his mind off the deadly serious nature of his curse and all that it had already cost him. He glanced again at Abigail and saw tears flowing quietly down her cheeks as Anatoly tried to console her. He reminded himself to be grateful for Jack. He wouldn’t have been able to make this speech, even if someone had written it down for him.
“Lord Alexander and his sister Abigail fled to Southport with the protection of Anatoly Grace and Aluicious Alabrand. They made the journey quickly and quietly. The very next morning they woke to an attack by a platoon of Reishi mercenaries led by a fire wizard. It was in that inn just before the attack that I was offered the privilege of joining Lord Alexander’s quest.
“We fought the soldiers even as the wizard doused the building with magical liquid fire. Lord Alexander killed the first of the enemy that day. We fled into the basement of the building and from there into the Southport underground where we made our way through the dark until we could find our way back to the surface.
“We dared not retrieve our horses for fear of being discovered, so we made our way on foot through the city until we reached a breach in the outer wall, where we encountered a squad of Southport city guard. They had been hired to kill Lord Alexander—reduced to common mercenaries by the corrupting influence of the Reishi. We fought them, and Lord Alexander felled three in that battle.
“We found shelter in a small farmhouse on the outskirts of town, gained horses and supplies, and set out the next morning for the forest. Knowing the road would be watched, we traveled across the open range. That night as we warmed ourselves around a small fire, we were visited by the ghost of Nicolai Atherton.” There was a collective gasp as the room recoiled in a mixture of fear and disbelief.
“Lords and ladies, I must tell you, I would find such a thing hard to believe had I not seen it myself. This ghost warned us, indeed warned Lord Alexander, that Prince Phane had conjured a pack of nether wolves to stalk him in the night and rend the flesh from his very bones.” The room fell deadly silent again. Every guest hung on Jack’s next words.
“We were trapped. The Reishi were camped on the road ahead and beasts conjured from the darkness itself were stalking us from behind. Our horses were exhausted from a long day’s travel and we knew it was only a matter of time before one of them came up lame. In the face of such a dilemma, Lord Alexander invented a new choice. One that few would have had the audacity to consider and fewer still would have had the courage and skill to accomplish.” Jack smiled into the waiting silence and let the anticipation build within the crowd.
“Lord Alexander chose to steal the Reishi mercenaries’ horses from their camp in the dead of night.” He paused to let the whispers ripple through the room. “His plan worked brilliantly. He and Master Grace slipped in under the cover of darkness. They strung together ten of the enemy horses and scattered the rest. Then, as they made good their escape, a lone man with a crossb
ow made a lucky shot from the dark and drove his barbed bolt into Lord Alexander’s shoulder just inches from his heart.” Again Jack paused and allowed the murmur of concern and fear to make its way through the room before he continued.
“From dawn to dusk we rode hard. We could all see the agony Lord Alexander was suffering. The barbed bolt was buried in his shoulder, its point scraping against bone with every stride of his horse. He did not falter, he did not waver, and he did not succumb to the torture of that awful day. With a platoon of Reishi mercenaries chasing us with all the speed they could muster, we made it to the old watchtower at the south edge of the forest just before dusk.” Isabel squeezed Alexander’s hand and gave him a worried look at the telling of how he’d been injured.
“On top of that plateau we made our stand. Master Alabrand, with the aid of his arcane arts, healed Lord Alexander’s wound, and not a moment too soon, for the enemy had arrived and they were advancing. Six men came up the side of the plateau in the night, but we defended successfully and none made it to the top. The remaining Reishi mercenaries and the fire wizard made camp on the plain below to wait for reinforcements. We were trapped. Then we heard the howl.” Jack took a sip of water while his audience collectively held its breath. “In all my years, I have never heard a sound so cold, so cruel, or so evil as the shriek of the dark beasts that stalked Lord Alexander that night.
“Nether wolves were loose in the world again for the first time since the Reishi War … and they were coming. We spent most of the night trying to sleep while we awaited our fate. Lords and ladies, for my part, I am not ashamed to admit that the otherworldly howl of those dark beasts made my blood run cold. In truth, I did not believe that I would live to see the sunrise.” Jack gave a little shudder. Alexander couldn’t tell if it was real or simply stagecraft.
“During the darkest hour, just before dawn, their shriek of madness and hate shattered the night again. They were close. Moments later we found ourselves in a fight for our very lives. We hurled stones the size of a man’s head at the beasts. Two of them took direct hits and fell from the path to the ground thirty feet below, only to bound back to their feet and renew their attack. Lord Alexander and Lady Abigail drove a dozen arrows into another of the foul monsters with nearly no effect. The creatures simply could not be killed, or so we began to think.
“They gained the top of the plateau. We were surrounded. We’d taken refuge atop the gatehouse, when one of the beasts bounded into the middle of us. In the brief but furious and desperate battle that followed, Master Grace cleaved the flank of the creature, distracting it for just an instant and taking the full force of a punishing attack for his effort. In that moment of opportunity, Lord Alexander struck.” Jack paused again for dramatic effect. “The first of the three nether wolves fell as it lost its head to Lord Alexander’s sure stroke.” The crowd actually cheered. Alexander was torn between embarrassment at the embellished telling of the story and wonder at Jack’s seemingly effortless ability to hold the crowd in thrall.
“I’m afraid our victory was short-lived.” The bard shook his head to forestall their enthusiasm. “In the next few moments, the remaining two netherworld beasts were poised to kill two of the people that Lord Alexander loves most in this world: his faithful protector, teacher, and family man-at-arms, Master Anatoly Grace, and his beloved sister, Lady Abigail.” Jack pointed out each in turn to put a face to the characters in his story.
“One nether wolf stood over the unconscious Master Grace, preparing to clamp its massive jaws around his head, while the other dark beast launched itself into the air in an arc that would bring the deadly monster crashing down on top of Lady Abigail.” Once again Jack paused and casually took a sip of water. The whole banquet room fell quiet.
“At that very moment, when all seemed lost, dawn broke. It was as if the sun itself charged into battle flying Lord Alexander’s banner. The clear light of dawn undid the foul beasts, leaving only a cloud of noxious black smoke where a moment before was a creature of bone and fang.” Again the crowd breathed a sigh of relief and astonishment. Jack gave them a moment before resuming his story.
“But the beasts were not slain. No, they had simply taken refuge in the very ground itself to escape the light of the sun and would rise again to renew the hunt at dusk. And, the Reishi mercenaries and their wizard were still at the foot of the plateau. Only minutes later they launched their attack. The wizard called up liquid fire hot enough to burn the stone of the watchtower itself. Again and again he cast his magical fire up at us until Lord Alexander commanded that we make our attempt to reach the base of the plateau and engage the enemy. And his command came not a moment too soon, for the ancient watchtower that has stood for millennia crashed to the ground even as we fled down the narrow path to the plain below.”
“When we rounded the corner and came into view of the wizard, he was conjuring yet another ball of liquid fire. His spell would have surely destroyed us all except for the brave and timely intervention of your own Rangers. The Alaric brothers, their sister Isabel, and Chase Covington drove the Reishi mercenaries off with their expert archery skills. You have reason to feel great pride for your Rangers. They proved their mettle that day and stood by their oath to protect the Ruathan bloodline.” The room cheered again. Erik and Hanlon looked proud. Isabel blushed.
“The Reishi had reinforcements coming, so we rode hard all that day and covered a great distance. In the growing darkness under the shadow of the forest we took refuge in Falls Cave.” There was a murmur amongst the guests as some of them confirmed that they knew the place. “We were successful in throwing the Reishi off our trail but had no such luck with the two remaining nether wolves. At dusk we heard their howls in the distance. None of us slept well that night.
“Well before dawn, the beasts found us. The battle that followed is mostly a blur. They came fast, faster than any horse can run. The first to reach us met Master Grace and his war axe. He knocked the beast off balance, giving Lord Alexander the opening he needed to deliver a mighty kick to the beast and send it toppling into the water. The second nether wolf leapt over a kill stroke leveled at it by Master Grace and landed squarely on Lord Alexander, sending him crashing into Lady Isabel, and then to the ground.” There was another gasp. Emily gave Isabel a look that was at once worried and reproving.
“The dark creature reared up and drove its monstrous jaws forward for the kill strike, but Lord Alexander smashed it in the side of the head with the pommel of his sword, sending the creature snapping into the dirt. When it reared up to strike again, Lady Isabel drove her sword over Lord Alexander’s shoulder and into the eye socket of the beast.” Jack smiled in a knowing sort of way. “I’m here to tell you, it did not like that. The beast skittered backward off Lord Alexander, and the Alaric brothers, Chase Covington, and Master Grace hacked it to pieces.” There was another collective sigh.
“Lord Alexander and Lady Isabel had scarcely regained their feet when the last nether wolf pulled itself from the water and renewed the attack. It charged straight for Lord Alexander and might have had him except for the unflinching bravery of Lady Isabel. She stepped right in front of the charging beast, sword raised and ready, but the nether wolf was just too quick. It crashed into her and sent her sprawling with broken ribs before it quickly turned and lunged at Lord Alexander. In the split second that Lady Isabel had given him with her incomprehensible courage, Lord Alexander gained the advantage that he needed. He spun to the side when the beast charged and brought his sword around with furious speed and took its head off with a single stroke.” Another cheer filled the room. Several of the audience stood to clap. Alexander gave Isabel’s hand a little squeeze. That had been a terrifying struggle and he knew without doubt that he would have died that day if not for her.
“We made our way to the main road and soon discovered that the Reishi had gained ground on us. They were now ahead of our position and lying in wait on Flat Top Rock.” Again there were murmurs of acknowledgement by those
in the room. Flat Top Rock was a well-known landmark to the people of Glen Morillian. “Rather than risk an engagement that we couldn’t win, Lord Alexander did the next best thing. He led us through the forest on foot around Flat Top Rock.” Jack chuckled, “And then, we stole the Reishi’s horses for a second time in as many days.” The room burst out in laughter and applause. Jack smiled and nodded as he beseeched the crowd to quiet down so he could continue. “I would pay good money to see the look on that wizard’s face when he realized we had their horses … again.” Laughter filled the room. This time Jack simply let it go until it started to die down on its own.
“We arrived at the fortress gate to Glen Morillian the next day. There are those who say that Lord Alexander is not the rightful heir to the Throne of Ruatha. I say he is. The mark burned into his neck by Mage Cedric’s magic says he is. Warden Alaric says he is. Prince Phane Reishi says he is.” Jack waited for a moment to let that last one sink in. “But you must decide for yourselves. Your free will is your own. I ask only that you consider this one question. Are these not the deeds of a king?”
Jack bowed and withdrew as the crowd stood to cheer and applaud.
Alexander wasn’t sure if the enthusiasm was for him or for Jack’s masterful rendition of their journey. Either way, the evening had been a success thus far so he decided to capitalize on it. He stood and took Isabel’s hand. “Would you like to dance?”
Chapter 29
She smiled brilliantly even as her face flushed. Nodding in a giddy sort of way, she came to her feet in a rush and followed him out onto the dance floor. The minstrels filled the hall with music the moment they stepped onto the floor.
Holding her in his arms seemed to drown out everything else in the world. With all he had to worry about, he simply couldn’t take his full and complete attention off of the woman he was dancing with. She captivated him in a way he didn’t even know was possible. Her simple presence made the world sweeter, more vibrant, and filled with possibilities that he’d never even considered before. He’d seen the way his parents looked at each other from time to time, but never truly understood the bottomless well of joy that that simple look represented. It seemed like such a profound thing to simply hold her in his arms and share a dance with her. He realized in that moment that he had fallen in love with Isabel. That realization changed nothing of his circumstances but changed everything about the way he saw the threat he faced, the world, and his place in it.
Thinblade Page 25
