The Mages' Winter of Death: The Healers of Glastamear: Volume Two

by Charles Williamson

  After sharing dinner with his friends, he cast the forest magic spell become a Ki. He had loaded his warmest clothing, snowshoes, and the gold coins into a leather bag that his friends attached to the back of the Giant Ki Eagle into which he’d transformed. He leaped into the cold night air and flew north though the cloudless sky. The Great Dragon constellation stretched high above with the impressive Red Nebula forming its sinister eye. Far to the north he could see the violet flashes of the fairy lights of the north as they danced across the star specked blackness.

  It was a long flight, but in winter in the far north, nights are very long, and even though it was well after breakfast time when he arrived at Sand Point, it was dark except for the dramatic display of the green sparkle of the fairy lights that now highlighted the northern sky. He flew over the sea and pack ice until he landed on the snow covered ground a thousand paces from the inn of his friend Sid of Sand Point.

  He transformed into his normal form and dressed in his warmest clothing including the fine fur-lined overcoat and mittens that he had purchased in Snowport a few months earlier. He put on his snowshoes and walked to the inn. Michael found four sleds parked in front; they were of the type drawn by snow elk indicating that several travelers had stayed there that past night and that their elk were sheltered in the stable.

  He knew from using mage thought-talk with Lady Marsha, the leader of the Snowport healers, that the local citizens had seen few deaths from the epidemic of the white pneumonia because she and three other healers had been busy in the city and the White Plains region to the east pretending to be apothecaries while secretly using healing spell.

  Because the temple compound was closed by order of Steven the Fifteenth, the highest church official in Glastamear, no one including the healers had been allowed inside since winter began. Lady Marsha thought the pneumonia was in full epidemic within the compound, but she had no way of knowing for certain because of the complete isolation of all priests and knight protectors in Snowport Province.

  When Michael entered the inn and pushed back his white fox lined hood. Sid came rushing from behind the bar to embrace him, saying, “Michael my friend, well met. We owe you for the survival of our inn. Your interest-free loan has made all the difference, and I’ll always be grateful. I’ll clear out my best room for you.”

  “Well met, Sid my friend. I’m glad travelers are back and that the inn is doing well.”

  “Yes there’s been a constant flow of travelers headed to Snowport. The apothecaries there can cure the white pneumonia. People from all over the province and even a few from Northport travel there for a cure. This has been the best winter in twenty years for our business. My wife and I have gone to Snowport to see Marsha the apothecary for a cure ourselves, but once you have the pneumonia and get cured, you can’t get it again.”

  “Sid my friend, I won’t be spending the night, but I have a proposition for you.”

  “Anything you need from me, Michael, I will do if it’s in my power.”

  “I have a ship with relief supplies headed here from Southport. We will need twenty-five sleighs pulled by snow elk to get the food over to Briarton. They’re in a bad situation there. My agents report that the snow is too deep this winter for normal transport of food. There is hunger as well as epidemic in this terrible winter of death. I hope you can hire that many wagons and teams for me in the next week. If all goes as planned the ship will offload its cargo of food and coal onto the pack ice for the trip by then.”

  “There are lots of hardy fishermen in Snowport who would love the opportunity to earn a little extra in the winter when they can’t take their boats out, and there are a lot of farmers with sleds and teams they don’t need for a few weeks and might want to earn some extra money. I can do it. Count on me.”

  Michael handed him the pouch of gold crowns. “Here’s money to get things started. Once we get to Briarton, I will pay the drivers and wagon owners the other half.”

  “Michael, that’s a lot of money.”

  “Spend what you need. I’ll collect the balance in a week. I need to move on to Snowport. I’ll see you again and spend the night here after the ship arrives.”

  Michael caught a ride on the sleigh of a swineherd who was delivering frozen pork to the market in Snowport. He had never ridden in a sleigh and was surprised how much quicker it was than a traditional wagon, at least twice the speed.

  The city seemed strange and alien under four paces of snow. Even the city wall barely rose above the surrounding drifts. Snowport was designed for these very heavy snow winters. Every house and building had a second floor or in some cases a third floor exit when snows got too deep in the streets to clear. Everyone outdoors wore snowshoes and hooded coats. The winter market was located on the roof of the summer market and tunnels connected all the government and public buildings and large apartment houses.

  Michael went first to the building of the banking partnership he used. Tobias Howardson greeted him warmly. Tobias had been of major assistance in getting all of the Snowport healers to safety at Rock Point.

  “The warmest greeting Michael. I’m pleased to see you. How can I assist one of the banking syndicate’s best customer?”

  Michael explained about the ship he expected from Southport and the plan to hire twenty-five sleighs to take the supplies to Briarton. “Do you have extra supplies in Snowport that I could also deliver? You have fared much better than most of Glastamear in this brutal winter. Do you think the city government will send aid to Briarton?”

  “Let’s go speak with Mayor Bookman.”

  They both put their snowshoes on and walked four blocks to the Mayor’s office. Many people on the street recognized Michael and greeted him as well as Tobias. That surprised him until Tobias explained that most of the population knew him as the merchant who’d helped the healers escape. In spite of his new beard, his fine gray wool greatcoat lined with fox fur was very recognizable.

  Since Marsha had returned this winter, most citizens probably also suspected that the apothecary shop she ran was a ruse to hide the fact she was a master healer who had been able to keep the white pneumonia from killing many of the citizens. That had not been too dangerous while the priests and knight protectors were locked inside the temple compound. In spring, when the temple reopened, the risk of staying in town was too great.

  Michael knew that after High Priest Carson was demoted to the small temple at Swamp Ford, a new high priest, Xian of North Grove, was sent to Snowport from Min Hollow. He was said to be an evil, carnal man with bizarre tastes. A force of thirty knight protectors came with him to enforce his will even against the mayor and local priests.

  “What do you know of this new High Priest Xian?” Michael asked.

  Tobias spit in the snow. “I’ll put my dirk in his gut if I get the chance. Before he locked the gates of the temple compound, his knights abducted ten young girls for his perversions, some as young as six years. There’s not a man or woman in Snowport who’d attend a ceremony he conducted. He’s a depraved pervert if there ever was one.”

  “He took ten young girls? How is that even possible? Surely the mayor and local garrison would intervene.”

  “Those Perry-damn knight protectors killed anyone who resisted. Their fireballs killed forty-two people before those fish-offal stinking monsters retreated into the temple compound and locked the gates. Many of the dead were the parents or neighbors of the girls who tried to protect the unfortunate children. When the mayor sent the local garrison to the temple, fireballs were shot at their feet forcing them back. Since then, no one can approach the temple compound’s walls without danger of being burned.”

  Michael was determined to do something about the abductions that same night. There was no crime in Glastamear more hated than taking advantage of young children.

  Chapter 16

  Mayor Bookman greeted Michael warmly. Although they had never met, he knew Michael as the merchant who had rescued the local healers thereby keeping the white
pneumonia from Snowport. Michael explained his mission to deliver food to Briarton.

  Mayor Bookman agreed to add ten sleighs of food to the relief effort.

  Michael asked, “Tobias has told me about Xian’s abductions. If the girls were freed, are there families who would adopt those who lost their parents.”

  “Absolutely yes. If you have a plan, you can count on my support.”

  Tobias added, “I’m in as well. We will take care of those poor children; this town is full of good people.”

  The mayor explained, “It’s the damn fireballs; my men are brave and willing, but they have no defense against fire. Even the best armor is useless.”

  “In Hearthshire Town, the priests and knight protectors lost their fire powers. It also happened in several small towns in that province. None of them could bring forth Perry’s fire until High Priest Carson, a good and virtuous man as you well know, re-consecrated the temple at Hearthshire Town. I think by tonight, none of these people will be able to use fire magic.”

  Both men looked at Michael as if he’d grown a second head before Tobias said, “You’re sure that this will happen tonight?”

  “Yes.”

  Mayor Bookman said, “All the major buildings are connected by tunnels. Xian is new to Snowport and may not know there is a tunnel connecting my office with the temple basement. I have the keys to the gates at both ends. If there is no fire magic, my men would love the chance to free those girls.”

  “I would love the chance to go with them,” Michael replied. “Let’s meet here at midnight. It is not likely that the knights will be in armor. Steel armor conducts the body heat away in this frigid weather. Probably not even the guards on the wall will have their steel plate armor on in tonight’s brutal cold. Let me see if I can find where the girls are kept.”

  Mayor Bookman looked skeptical, but Tobias said, “If he says he can do something, I know from the men of his fishing fleet, he can do it.”

  “I’ve also heard stories about melting ice and stilling waves. It’s best that I don’t know anything for certain. Do whatever you can Michael. You have many friends in Snowport, but it’s best that you keep your secrets. I will arrange for ten sleighs with relief supplies no matter what happens tonight. It will mostly be dried fish, but if people are hungry, it will be lifesaving.”

  “Thank you. See you at midnight.”

  After meeting with Mayor Bookman and Tobias Howardson, Michael shopped at a local store and bought a black greatcoat of the type with an attached mask commonly used by sleigh drivers in very cold temperatures. It revealed only the eyes. He then walked over to Lady Marsha’s apothecary shop. She ran to the door to embrace him. They were alone in the shop, and Michael told her about the plan to rescue the children that night. He wanted her and the other secret healers in town ready to meet the children if they succeeded. There were spells to heal the physical injuries, but they would also need the relief that amnesia release could bring. Even that spell would not cause them to forget anything put the past two weeks, but it would help to add distance to their trauma.

  He left his fine greatcoat with Lady Marsha and wore the simple black one with the hood and mask. He cast the naiad spell transparency and walked in his snowshoes to the area close to the temple. Because of the danger of fireballs, no one had cleared any of the snow near the temple walls. He cast both detect all manna and detect life. There were only about twenty-five fire manna signs, proof that the epidemic had taken its toll within the compound. He saw life signs of eight small people in the basement of the High Priest’s residence. He feared that two of the girls had died from the white pneumonia or other means. Near where the city wall and temple wall intersected, he left his clothing and converted to an eagle. He flew to the Perry’s Hand sculpture above the main entrance and enchanted it with quench fire manna.

  He returned for his clothing, dressed and went back to Lady Marsha’s shop where they worked on plans for the journey to Briarton and the transfer of the responsibility for Snowport to Lady Agnes. They had dinner together at Lady Marsha’s house.

  Michael hoped that they could rescue the children without any direct contact with the knight protectors because any combat would put the girls in further danger. Half an hour before midnight he was at the mayor’s office discussing what he had found.

  “Is there a tunnel connecting the temple basement with the basement of the High Priest’s house?” Michael asked.

  “Yes, but I have no key for it. These are ancient locks from nearly a thousand years ago. They’re enchanted and can’t be opened without a key or the recognition of an approved person’s hand on a metal plate. We’ll need to expose ourselves to get between the buildings.”

  “I know these locks and can open them. The whole raid will need to happen without alerting the knights or priests because a pitched battle would endanger the girls we’re rescuing.”

  The mayor seemed anxious for revenge. “But they can’t use fireballs now. My men could take them in a battle.”

  “Mayor Bookman, what would happen in the spring when they realize this in Min Hollow? Xian can hardly complain about the girls disappearing because he can’t admit he took them, but a major battle would give the church a strong motive to punish the whole city. Subtlety, not violence, is our best option.”

  “I have forty men. How many should we take with us?”

  “Let’s take all of them into the tunnel, but have most of them remain there as reinforcements. I’ll go first, you and ten men should follow only after I open the tunnel between the temple and the high priest’s house.”

  “I’m staying with you. These are children of Snowport; it is my duty.”

  It was a complication because Michael’s transparency spell would not extend to a companion unless they stayed in physical contact. He didn’t really want to reveal more of the water magic he’d learned from the naiads, but he deferred to the mayor’s wishes.

  At midnight, they began their infiltration when the mayor opened the metal gate of the tunnel in the basement of his office. Michael and the mayor went first. The mayor carried a shaded candle, which gave barely enough light to avoid a stumble. The local guards followed; the ten most experienced soldiers came first followed by the thirty men of the reserve force. Michael used a series of secretly made casts to improve his night vision to detect the presence of fire mages and individuals.

  Michael could tell that there were two fire mages in the basement of the temple. He motioned for the mayor to halt, and crept forward, casting transparency as soon as he was out of the mayor’s sight in the dim light. He snuck up to each of the priests in the basement and used surgery sleep on them. Before returning for the mayor he cast the naiad spell open all locks on the gate to the tunnel that would lead to the girls. He noticed that there were now only seven, and searching around for life signs he saw that one girl was up on the third floor, immediately next to a very powerful fire mage. This fire mage’s manna was as great as High Priest Carson’s or Simon’s. The gorge in his throat rose in disgust; he was determined to get her even if she was in the high priest’s bed.

  After reversing the transparency spell, he went back for the mayor and ten guardsmen. He led them across the temple basement and into the second tunnel. They crept silently along with only the dim light from the single shaded candle that the mayor carried. Michael opened the second gate and led them to the room where the girls were imprisoned. He opened the locked door with another cast, and they entered the cold dark room. The abducted children were huddled together for warmth; they were all sleeping. One by one the guards picked up each girl and told her to be silent. They carried the seven girls quietly back through the tunnel to the mayor’s office.

  Michael whispered to the mayor, “Go with the men. I need to go upstairs to get the eighth child. I’ll bring her back through the tunnels and lock each door as I go.”

  “Surely you can’t do this alone. I will help.”

  “I can only do it alone because of reasons
I’d rather not disclose. Please go with your men. I should be along within half an hour.”

  The mayor shook Michael’s hand and said, “My Father God go with you.”

  As Michael left the prison room, he relocked the door by reversing his lock spell in order to make the disappearance seem more like an inside job by someone with a key. He cast the spell to make himself invisible, but the spell did not fool other senses like hearing or smell. He searched the high priest’s basement until he found a locked door that he hoped lead to a stairway. After opening it, he crept up three flights of stairs following the strong manna signs of the high priest to a locked bedroom. He had paused on the second floor landing to let a guard pass. There were six other guards in the house, and he used detect life to follow their movements. He was more worried about the girls than his own safety if they were detected.

  He entered silently and drew his dagger. The sight put murder in his heart like few others he’d ever seen. Xian was sleeping next to a nude child of about eight. The girl was bruised in many places and had a black eye. Slowly Michael approached the sleeping pervert with his dagger ready, but somehow the mental voice of his mentor William said, “You are a healer; behave like one.” It was a line William had used every time he showed anger or got into trouble.

  It was difficult. After a minute with his dagger poised, he sighed. Michael put away his dagger and touched Xian with the surgery sleep spell. He used enough power for the spell to last about eight hours. He picked up the child in his invisible arms and cast a much shorter sleep spell on her. He didn’t want her to awaken frightened and make a sound. Once she was in his arms, she too was invisible because the spell included anything held by the caster. As he left the room, he reversed his unlock spell and moved as silently as possible down the three flights to the basement. He relocked the basement door and the gates to the tunnel that led to the temple basement hoping to make what had happened a complete mystery.