Wards and Wonders

by Kay L. Ling

  “Tina Ann, get the rope we used for tent tie-downs. We can use that to tie these fellows up. Ben, go turn their maraku loose, and while you’re over at their cart, bring back our gear.”

  Franklin rearranged the contents of the cart, making room for their new passengers. Afterward, he went through their pockets looking for anything of interest while Tina Ann held up the dented shovel in case they came to and needed another whack.

  Ben came back with the items Tina Ann had loaded onto the Outcasts’ cart, and he also had a box of gems. “These be ours.”

  Together, they heaved the bound Outcasts onto the cart and covered them with the tarp.

  Franklin said, “I’m going to stop and talk to the breghlin clan. If they lend me an erum, I can reach Elantoth in half the time. The hostages need help as soon as possible.”

  “Ya gonna tell ‘em what we did ter the Outcasts?” Ben asked.

  “Not if I can help it. Until we get this situation under control, and they’re all out of danger, the less they know the better.”

  “Want us to go with ya?” Tina Ann asked.

  “No. I need you to keep an eye on our passengers.”

  On the way to the river, Franklin hadn’t noticed a breghlin longhouse, but it might be a distance off the road.

  They started out, in the direction of Elantoth, and Ben hadn’t driven far before Tina Ann said, “I sees it!”

  “Yep. I sees the roof,” Ben said, slowing the cart. “I can drive ya back there.”

  Tall weeds covered the ground, and they might conceal rocks that could damage the cart. “I’ll walk. It’s not far. They’ll either tell me yes or no, and I’ll be right back.”

  Tina Ann said, “Want us ter eat pink powder so we can hears ya shout fer help?”

  Franklin climbed out. “I think I’ll be okay.”

  Ben and Tina Ann didn’t look so sure. Outside Elantoth, the clans were notoriously savage, and breghlin weren’t in the habit of granting favors, even to fellow breghlin.

  It was little wonder, then, that when Franklin returned riding an erum, Ben and Tina Ann looked surprised and impressed.

  “Don’t that beat all!” Ben said. “And that be a fine lookin’ erum.”

  “What should I name it?” Franklin asked, holding back a smile.

  “Name it? You be givin’ it back in a day or two,” Tina Ann said.

  “No, it’s mine now.”

  “Yours,” Ben repeated, his brow wrinkling in confusion.

  “I got to thinking,” Franklin said, patting the erum’s neck. “Ertz traded a maraku for an erum. Maybe these breghlin would make a trade.”

  “They traded away this erum?” Tina Ann asked in amazement. “What did ya give ‘em?”

  Franklin grinned. “They’re now the proud owners of a Bic lighter and a Swiss Army knife.”

  Chapter 26

  By the time Franklin reached Elantoth Fortress, he was dying of thirst and sore from riding. He had gotten the knack of moving with the erum, but even so, the constant motion left his thighs raw. This had been too far for a first ride, but he’d had no choice.

  Oliver, who was heading toward the maraku barn, looked around when he heard hoof beats and ran to greet Franklin.

  “Where be Ben and Tina Ann? Didn’t ya leave in a cart? Where ya get an erum?”

  Franklin’s mouth was too dry to answer questions. “Water,” he croaked. “Please.”

  Oliver ran to the nearby hand-pump.

  Franklin wanted to climb off the erum, but his body had molded itself into this position, and not only would it take a couple breghlin to drag him off, he doubted he could stand. How he would manage the return trip, he couldn’t imagine, but someone must guide Ertz or Elias to the site.

  Oliver came back with a bucket, and handed up a ladle of cool water. Franklin drank it too quickly, coughing and choking, and then drank again.

  “I hollered to Xenon an’ he be comin’,” Oliver said, watching Franklin worriedly.

  Franklin handed back the ladle and wiped his mouth. “I’d like to get off this darned beast, but I’m not sure I can.”

  “We help ya,” Oliver said, as Xenon hurried over.

  Franklin dismounted without falling, but it wasn’t graceful, and the breghlin held him up when his legs threatened to buckle.

  “We gets ya inside, then we takes care of yer erum.”

  “Thanks. I’m sure the poor creature is thirsty.”

  With the breghlin supporting him, Franklin managed to limp to the entryway and climb the steps, grimacing at the pins and needles sensation in his legs. The door opened, and the guards waved him in without asking anyone’s permission. Elantoth’s ban on human involvement had begun to relax.

  “I need to see Ertz,” Franklin told them. “It’s urgent.”

  “Ya needs to sit?” Oliver asked.

  “I’m okay, but thanks.”

  Ertz could be anywhere—in one of the ministry offices, the Pedestal Room, the library, or off at the alamaria mine. Fortunately, the guard returned a few minutes later with Ertz at his side.

  “Franklin? What brings you here? I heard you were on an adventure with Ben and Tina Ann.”

  “It was more of an adventure than we bargained for. We stumbled across an illegal mining operation. Outcasts are forcing a breghlin clan to mine gems, and to make sure they keep working, they put two hostages inside a warded cave.”

  Ertz frowned. “This is a serious matter. I’ll contact Aberell Fortress, and I’m sure they’ll send officers to guard the deposit and catch the criminals. There was a similar case in the news recently, and I don’t believe they’ve caught the offenders.”

  “Maybe it’s the same Outcasts.”

  “It wouldn’t surprise me.”

  “The hostages need help right away. The Outcasts have been giving them food and water periodically, and we, er . . . incapacitated those Outcasts.”

  “Let’s go to my office, and you can tell me everything.”

  “I could use a cushioned chair about now,” Franklin agreed. “I just rode for three hours on an erum.”

  Ertz turned to Oliver. “Please ask a server to bring raaka, bread, and cheese to my office.”

  When Franklin and Ertz reached the office, Ertz lifted the seat of the gothic chair in the corner and pulled out a pillow. “This should help.”

  Franklin accepted the pillow gratefully and, placing it on a chair in front of the desk, sat with a groan.

  Ertz sat down behind the desk. “Tell me more about these Outcasts.”

  “Three are involved, but only two came today. Every few days the Outcasts come for gems and take care of the hostages.”

  “Do we know how many of them are gem masters?”

  “Only one—the one who didn’t come today. We took down his henchmen and tied them up. Ben and Tina Ann are bringing them back on the cart, but now the hostages have no food or water.”

  Ertz folded his hands. “How could these Outcasts feed the hostages without the gem master there to dispel the ward?”

  “I have no idea. The hostages said the gem master doesn’t always come, so the other two must have a way to temporarily deactivate the ward.”

  “Yes, so it would seem.” Ertz thought a moment. “To the best of my knowledge, to accomplish that, one would need a spell and two gems that are prohibitively expensive.”

  “How would Outcasts get their hands on rare gems?”

  Ertz frowned. “How indeed?”

  “They’re imprisoning breghlin, not fellow gem masters. Maybe the ward isn’t very complicated.”

  “That wouldn’t change the fact that it takes a gem user to deactivate a ward.”

  “So, the henchmen must have those rare gems.”

  “I believe so. With those gems, anyone could release the hostages. Were the Outcasts wearing jewelry?”

  “I didn’t notice any, but I suppose their clothing could have covered it. I went through their pockets. Nothing there. Maybe they left the gems in their car
t.”

  “Not likely. They wouldn’t let such valuable gems out of their sight.”

  “Can you get through the ward without those gems?”

  Ertz hesitated. “I hope so. As you pointed out, the gem master may have used a simple ward since he was only dealing with breghlin, but if it’s a complicated ward, it could be a problem.”

  “I remember how much trouble we had with the armory ward. Lana got inside once, but we never found a way to permanently deactivate the ward.”

  “When I have time, I’ll see what I can do.”

  “I don’t feel like riding back to the mine. I haven’t ridden in years, and I ache all over, especially my legs, but if you’ll go back with me, I’ll take you to the hostages.”

  “I’ll go. We’ll probably meet Ben and Tina Ann along the way, and if we’re lucky, the Outcasts have the gems that deactivate the ward.” Ertz stood. “If you’ll excuse me, I’ll contact Aberell about the illegal mining operation and tell our guards to expect Ben and Tina Ann, who are bringing the criminals. Your food should be here shortly.”

  By the time Ertz returned, Franklin had finished his lunch.

  “If you like, I’ll see what I can do for your pain,” Ertz said.

  “Sure. Go ahead.”

  “Each gem master has an affinity gem—a gem power that comes naturally. Mine is invisibility, not healing, but I’ll do my best.” He laid a hand on Franklin’s shoulder and another on his leg, and warmth began to spread through Franklin’s body.

  “I feel like I’m relaxing in a hot bath.” Franklin closed his eyes, sighing with relief as the pain and stiffness left him. Finally, he opened his eyes. “I feel a hundred percent better. Thanks.”

  “I’m glad to hear it. Your erum may be rested by now, but if necessary, I can infuse it with strength and stamina.”

  Franklin stood, amazed that his pain was completely gone. “Doesn’t it take a lot out of you when you use your gem powers like that?”

  “It does,” Ertz admitted. “As we ride, I’ll use gems to replenish my infused powers. If you’re ready, we’ll be on our way.”

  When the cart arrived with the Outcasts, Tyla and Arenia ran outside to greet Ben and Tina Ann. Guards came a moment later to take the criminals to the dungeon. By now, the Outcasts were conscious, and they weren’t happy about being bound, much less carried off like bundles of wood.

  “You’re heroes,” Tyla told Ben and Tina Ann. “I can hardly wait to hear the whole story. Come down to the kitchen. Everyone is gathering there.”

  Maggie Ann poured everyone mugs of beer, and anyone who couldn’t find a seat at the kitchen table pulled up empty crates and kegs.

  “Tell! Tell!” cried Maggie Ann, mimicking Tina Ann, and everyone burst out laughing.

  The crowd listened wide-eyed as Tina Ann told about the rock marked with runes, the secret gem deposit, and finding two breghlin trapped in a warded cave. When she got to the part about returning to the cart and finding two Outcasts stealing their belongings, many of the listeners gasped. An awed hush fell over the group as Tina Ann described the fight and told how she had knocked out armed Outcasts with a shovel. Then, Ben broke the tension by relating Franklin’s amazing trade: an erum for a lighter and a pocketknife, and the breghlin howled with laughter.

  Tyla said, “Good thing Franklin got the erum. He arrived here three hours ahead of you, and he and Ertz have gone back to help the hostages. Did you meet them along the way?”

  “Sure did!” Ben said, “Gem Master Ertz be lookin’ fer some kinda rare gems, and the Outcasts had ‘em on chains roun’ their necks.”

  Tina Ann said excitedly, “He can use ‘em to free the hostages.”

  “When Ertz get back, he be goin’ ter the dungeon ter have a long talk with them Outcasts,” Ben said in a tone that suggested they wouldn’t find it a pleasant experience.

  Parcune and Raenihel excused themselves and went back to work, but Tyla and Arenia stayed with the breghlin. Tyla was surprised that Arenia seemed at ease around them, and when Arenia poured a beer and toasted Ben and Tina Ann, Tyla was speechless. A few minutes later, Ben suggested that everyone go to the dungeon to see the Outcasts, and Arenia didn’t tell them they’d be bothering the guards and try to talk them out of it. Tyla began to think someone had used mood-enhancing gems on her sister. Talking boisterously, the breghlin all left for the dungeon.

  Tyla started clearing away the mugs, half-expecting Arenia to chide her for cleaning up after breghlin. The next thing she knew, Arenia had gotten a wet rag and was wiping up spilled beer.

  “Sparkles and Glitter showed a lot of courage today,” Arenia said, her eyes on the table as she worked.

  “Have they’ve redeemed themselves?”

  Arenia paused and looked up at her. “I’d say so, wouldn’t you?”

  “Yes, but I was never really angry with them.”

  Arenia sighed and continued to wipe the table. “They’re trying to be better, and I’ve been pretty hard on them. Mostly because I’m jealous.”

  “Jealous?”

  Arenia laid down the cleaning rag and met Tyla’s eyes. “You and I were always so close. We did so many things—momentous things—together. We dug gems from the ashes of S’s throne, translated books of runes, found the hidden Pedestal Room and made contact with Aberell Fortress.” She shook her head sadly. “Then you started hanging around with Tina Ann, and now I hardly see you unless we’re working together in the library.”

  Tyla was dumbfounded. “I had no idea you felt this way. I never meant to hurt you or make you feel left out.”

  “It was silly of me, and I hope you’ll forgive me.” Arenia blinked back tears.

  “Of course I forgive you. From now on, things will be different.” Her heart was suddenly lighter. It was nice to have a sister who cared enough to be jealous.

  Chapter 27

  It was a fine morning for an adventure, Tyla told herself as she rode with Raenihel and Ertz to the armory. The air smelled fresh after last night’s rain, and the sky was a brilliant blue with thin bands of drifting clouds.

  Ever since Franklin had mentioned the armory ward to Ertz, the gem master had been pondering the matter, and he believed the Outcasts’ gemstones, which had deactivated the ward at the gem mine, might work here. Tyla hoped he was right, and yet getting in was less important than it had been. When Lana had temporarily breached the ward, the staff had carried off the most valuable items—weapons with gems and sentient spell books. They had left crudely made weapons and miscellaneous gear behind. Tyla supposed they could have overlooked things in their haste to get out.

  Raenihel left the trail and drove across open land to the armory hill, which was easily distinguishable these days. Now that the formerly infertile land had healed, and field grass grew everywhere, the absence of plant life on the armory hill made it stand out. The ward’s energy field kept anything from growing there.

  “It was exciting to find more spell books. We gave some back to the clans that originally owned them, but we haven’t tracked down all the clans yet,” Tyla told Ertz.

  “Technically, they’re not spell books, even though they refer to themselves that way, and we commonly call them that,” Ertz said.

  Raenihel asked, “What are they, then?”

  “Books of Knowledge. You’ve probably noticed that except for S’s book, they have relatively few spells. They contain descriptions of historic events, drawings of important items and places, and information about everything from gems to herbs. Being sentient, they remember everything recorded within their pages and can extrapolate the answers to many questions.”

  Tyla said, “I’m surprised Sheamathan wrote down as many spells as she did since The Eight are supposed to be able to create complex spells on the spot.”

  Raenihel brought the cart to a halt, staying a safe distance from the armory. He knew how close he could come without triggering the ward. They all got out and started walking.

  “Can we keep the gems you to
ok from the Outcasts?” Tyla asked.

  “I expect we may have to hand them over to the Department of Gem Powers, but if this works, you won’t need them. I’ll leave the ward deactivated.”

  “Did you find out which gem master the Outcasts were working for?” Raenihel asked.

  “No. He calls himself Slyhand, but our inmates don’t know his real name, and they claim they’ve never seen him around the Outcast District. I suppose he could have come from a different city. The Amulet has been much in the news these days, drawing criminals here, unfortunately.”

  “We have enough problems without that,” Raenihel said gloomily.

  “Aberell hopes to capture Slyhand when he comes looking for his missing accomplices, but that won’t be the end of the matter. There must be others above him.”

  “Why do you think that?” Raenihel asked.

  “For one thing, the gems they used to deactivate the ward are too rare and expensive for someone like Slyhand. I read our inmates’ minds to learn who they think is behind the operation, but I don’t think they’re right.”

  “Who do they think it is?” Tyla asked.

  Ertz hesitated. “Marrid.”

  “Really?” Raenihel frowned thoughtfully. “A recent newssheet article said she’s been acquiring more rare gems lately, including Dark gems, and she’s not above using criminals—woodspirits or gnomes—to get them.”

  Ertz laughed.

  “You don’t believe it?” Tyla asked.

  “Marrid is no fool. If she were really doing such a thing, she’d be discreet. She wouldn’t let herself become the subject of newssheet gossip.”

  “Maybe she doesn’t care who knows about it,” Tyla said. “Or she’s in a hurry and got careless.”

  “She wouldn’t want to turn public opinion against The Eight, especially now. Next week, the Joint High Council will vote on where to hold Sheamathan.”

  “From what I read, some woodspirits are worried about Marrid, so if they’re worried, maybe there’s something to it,” Raenihel persisted.