Nicholas Raven and the Wizards' Web (The Complete Epic Fantasy)

by Thomas J. Prestopnik

  “I’ll take all the help I can get,” he replied as he pounded on the door a second time. “I’m home!”

  “Are you sure your wife is home?” Aaron joked as William laughed, neither noticing as two other men entered the lane from the far end. A moment later they were near the doorway.

  “Locked out again, Meklas?” one of the two men asked though the shadows with a hearty laugh.

  William and Aaron were startled by the new arrivals and glanced at the two strangers, unable to distinguish their faces. Though Meklas introduced them as two of his friends, William felt a slight wave of apprehension pass over him.

  “I hope not,” Meklas replied to the man’s question.

  Suddenly sounds from behind the door were distinctly audible and William felt at ease again. “This must be her now,” he said.

  Meklas nodded. “And certain to have my skin.”

  “No doubt!” one of the men replied as the door swung open.

  But just as William and Aaron looked inside, expecting to greet either Meklas’ disgruntled or overjoyed wife, they were both surprised to see a tall man with tangles of dark hair and a grim smile stuck to his face. “Glad you could make it,” Bosh said.

  Suddenly, the two men in back grabbed William and Aaron by their collars as Meklas broke away and stepped into the room. Before either of the boys could react, they were pushed inside and heard the door slam behind them. William’s heart raced as he attempted to spin around and free himself. But before he uttered a word, a dirty, callused hand was slapped against his mouth and the tip of a knife blade pressed to his throat. William’s eyes widened in terror when he saw that Aaron was being similarly held.

  “So far, so good,” Bosh said, studying the faces of his captives, satisfied that they matched the descriptions of the boys Nyla had provided the previous night. “Am I going to have any trouble from either one of you?” he asked as the two men holding them slowly raised their knife blades in front of William and Aaron’s faces. The two boys simultaneously shook their heads. “Wonderful. That was the right answer,” he replied. “Now we’ll be able to talk like civilized men. That’s the reason I brought you here, after all–to talk.”

  CHAPTER 39

  Through the Billowing Fog

  William was shoved into a room and stumbled to the floor. All went dark as the door was slammed shut and locked. Dim light flowed beneath the bottom from an adjacent room, the faint glow mixed with the frustrated mutterings of Bosh and his associates. Their voices diminished as the men retreated to another area. William turned over and lay on his back, his head pounding, his body aching. He tasted dried blood on the corner of his mouth where Bosh had slapped him.

  “Are you all right?” Aaron whispered from among the inky shadows, feeling responsible for William’s injuries.

  “Yes,” he replied with difficulty. “I just need to rest for a few minutes. I…” He exhaled deeply, never having felt so sore in his life. For a moment he imagined what Brendan might have experienced while he lay dying on the cabin floor.

  Bosh had questioned him for an hour, demanding information about King Basil’s military plans. When William refused to answer time and time again, Bosh slapped him, telling him that he knew he was a prince from Montavia and had associated with King Cedric and others who had traveled from the west. William didn’t deny the claims but revealed nothing more, only enraging the man until he slammed a fist into William’s stomach and shoved him against the wall while two other men looked on in amusement.

  “Look, this is me going easy on you, your Highness,” Bosh had said with contempt. “What’s to follow won’t be as pleasant, so think about it,” he added before pushing William into the windowless room and locking the door.

  Now, William stared into a black void, wondering who his captors were and how they had discovered his identity. Was there a spy among King Basil or King Cedric’s troops? If so, what other information had already been revealed? He shuddered, a nauseating chill in the pit of his stomach as he fully comprehended the peril that had befallen the resistance. He slowly turned his head, and though unable to see Aaron, he knew he was sitting close by, no doubt scared and confused. William vowed to protect the boy just as Brendan had protected him, but he feared he had little time.

  The stench of warfare was in the air. William knew they had little chance of escape against four men, and should they break him, he figured that he and Aaron would probably be killed. What worried him even more though was what would happen to Eucádus and the others should matters here play out for the worst. He wondered what his brother would have done in this situation, envisioning Brendan’s smile in the darkness before he lapsed into fitful sleep.

  The rattle of the metal lock shook him from his slumber. William’s head swam with remnants of blurred dreams and echoes of sharp voices. It felt like the dead of night, and when the glow of firelight splashed into the room, he realized that he had probably slept only a few hours. Dawn was still a vague hope.

  “Ready to talk now?” Bosh said, kicking at William’s boot.

  He struggled to sit up, his muscles sore and tight, his eyelids heavy. Aaron, who had been sound asleep a few feet away, sat up as well, fearing for the prince’s life.

  “I said all I have to say,” William replied, his voice dry and raspy. “You’ll learn nothing more from me.”

  “Is that so?” Bosh’s words were edged with bitterness, his tall frame eerily silhouetted against the sickly glow of firelight.

  “He said he won’t talk!” Aaron snapped. “Leave him alone.”

  “Nobody’s asking you, kettle scrubber, so mind your own business.” Bosh glared at William. “Last chance, prince, before it gets ugly. Are you going to talk?”

  William shook his head, his heart pounding with fear despite a small part of him not caring what they’d do. He was growing weary of the whole affair. “I’ll sit down with you,” he said, “but I won’t talk. Ever.”

  Bosh, his arms akimbo, gazed at him for several icy moments before sharply sighing. “Fine. Then maybe he will!” In a flash, he bent over and grabbed Aaron by the arm, yanking the boy to his feet. His fingers gripped him like a vice.

  “Leave him alone!” William cried, jumping up, ready to rush at the man.

  But Bosh pulled out a knife and held it to Aaron’s throat just as Meklas entered the room similarly armed. William looked at both men and took a step back.

  “That’s more like it,” Bosh said. “If you won’t cooperate, then maybe your friend will have sense enough to do so.”

  “I told you, he doesn’t know anything!” William pleaded, seeing the fear in Aaron’s eyes as the boy tried to control his erratic breaths. “It’s the truth. He hasn’t attended meetings nor is he privy to any military matters. Leave him alone. Please.”

  Bosh pretended to be impressed by William’s valiant defense. “Well, if what you say is true, then there really isn’t a need for me to question this boy. He might as well go back to the kitchens to wash dishes and bake bread.” He snapped his fingers and smirked. “Ah, but then he might turn us all in to the authorities. That wouldn’t be good for me and the boys.” He raised the tip of his knife so that the firelight reflected off the sharp blade, making it clearly visible to William and Aaron. “If this one really doesn’t know anything, I guess we don’t need him here taking up valuable space.” Bosh shoved the boy at Meklas, who grabbed Aaron behind the collar and waved his knife at him. “Meklas, you and Gelt take him out and get rid of the body. I’m sure there’s a nice spot on the bottom of Lake LaShear that will have him.”

  “I’ll find one.”

  “No!” William cried, advancing a step with terror in his eyes. “Don’t hurt him. He won’t turn you in. Isn’t that right, Aaron?”

  Aaron nodded.

  “Sorry, prince, but he’s got to go,” Bosh coldly responded. “Unless…”

  William swallowed hard, knowing what his captor was about to say but asking him the question anyway. “Unless what
?”

  “If you tell me what I want to know, your friend will live,” he replied matter-of-factly. “We’ll have a nice, friendly chat in the next room and he can continue to sleep in here.” Bosh cleaned beneath his fingernails with the knife tip, speaking his next words with chilling deliberation. “Therefore, if the next words out of your mouth are anything, and I mean anything other than I’ll tell you what you want to know, then your friend is going to be killed in front of you–right here, right now. Meklas is just itching for a reason to use his dagger, but it’s all up to you. So, Prince William of Montavia, anything you want to say?”

  Crestfallen, William watched as Meklas positioned his knife near Aaron’s throat. He could sense the terror overwhelming his friend and wished that he had never dragged the boy into his world of war, politics and deceit. But now the worst deed would have to be done. William hated himself at the moment, having no desire to ever be king if decisions such as these would be laid upon his lap. But like it or not, he had to decide now. He glanced up at Bosh, gazing into his captor’s eyes with boiling disdain.

  “I’ll tell you what you want to know,” he replied.

  Eucádus accompanied King Cedric late the following morning as they wandered among the battalions spread out across the field south of the estate. They were to meet shortly with Captain Silas and others to refine their invasion strategy now that the last scouts had returned with updated information about Drogin’s troop positions along the southern shores. King Basil was still prepared to move his army in less than two days.

  Eucádus entered a large tent with King Cedric where nearly a dozen other men awaited Captain Silas. Several small benches were laid out in a semicircle around a table where officers would present the latest information. The sides of the tent undulated in a gusty breeze as the men took their places. Eucádus spoke to the King in private in back of the tent.

  “I have not seen Will today,” he said, “and had to recruit another courier to send messages to King Basil at the estate. I instructed him to locate the prince, assuming William had been at the King’s side, but King Basil relayed that he had not seen the boy since lunchtime yesterday.”

  “Nor have I in my wanderings,” King Cedric replied. “It’s not like William to take his leave so freely.”

  “Perhaps his wanderlust got the best of him as he explored the lakeside,” Eucádus guessed, explaining how William had become good friends with Aaron and that the two had a penchant for exploring the city after sunset. “I thought it would do his spirit good to spend time with someone his own age considering all he had endured.”

  “A fine idea. Perhaps they wandered too far and passed the night outdoors,” the King suggested. “William spent much time on the road with his brother. Maybe his time with Aaron is helping him cope with Brendan’s loss.”

  “Maybe, but it is far too late in the day for him not to have yet returned. I might be worrying needlessly, but Ramsey also mentioned that he saw no sign of William earlier among the western camps.” Eucádus furrowed his brow, beginning to worry. “As Captain Silas isn’t here yet, I’m going to slip out for a moment and send a few soldiers to the estate to check for William and Aaron one last time. If they’re not back, I’ll instruct the men to scour the docks and areas nearby.” He sighed, looking very much the beleaguered parent. “I hope I’m making more fuss than need be, but…”

  “Despite being a prince, William is still a young boy,” the King said with a chuckle. “He may feel like he’s escaping from his studies for a day. Perhaps being immersed in our stifling routine of endless, dreary meetings has taken its toll on him. Coupled with his brother’s death, maybe he just needed to escape from us.”

  Eucádus grinned, feeling better upon hearing such an explanation. “I understand your logic, sir, and am now inclined to believe that that is the case. Still, I’ll send some men to ease my mind. I’ll only be a moment,” he said as he slipped out through the tent flaps into the blustery gray of approaching noon, trying to convince himself that William would show up any minute. He had grown fond of the boy from the moment he arrived at the Star Clearing and would never forgive himself if something happened to him. He hoped his anxiety was unjustified.

  But several hours later, anxiety turned to fear. Eucádus received word from the estate that Aaron had never shown up for work in the kitchens that morning. Apparently Nyla had nervously reported him missing after a search of the estate proved unsuccessful. A scout even visited the nearby home of Aaron’s former neighbor where he occasionally spent the night, though he was not there either. As the sun sank beneath the western horizon, Eucádus gazed east across the cold, black waters of Lake LaShear as he stood by the walls of the estate, awaiting the arrival of a second group of men sent into Melinas to search for William and Aaron. His chest tightened as his mind juggled several disquieting thoughts regarding their disappearance, blaming himself for whatever fate might have in store as war was about to break out, wondering if he would ever see either of them again.

  After William had been questioned by Bosh, he and Aaron slept uneasily for a few hours before being awakened again near dawn. They were ushered outdoors into cold darkness at knifepoint and ordered to climb on back of a horse-drawn wagon, guarded under the watchful eyes of Meklas and Gelt. Bosh drove the wagon to a small farmhouse several miles outside the city. The fourth man remained back at their quarters in Melinas.

  “Where are you taking us?” William asked as the sky grew milky gray along the eastern horizon. “I told you what you wanted to know.” Meklas glanced at him coldly, making him feel as if the man were staring directly through him. No one spoke another word until they arrived at the farmhouse.

  When the wagon stopped, William and Aaron jumped off the back at Meklas’ command and were led to a barn near a one-story clay house with a thatched roof. The surrounding area was beset with dried weeds left over from warmer days. The boys were shoved inside the abandoned structure which smelled of stale hay and soil.

  “Now keep quiet or we’ll tie and gag you,” Bosh ordered. “Understand?”

  “We understand,” Aaron muttered with an air of defeat.

  “Why aren’t you letting us go?” William asked. “We had a deal.”

  Bosh grinned. “A deal? The deal was that you talked and I let him live,” he explained, pointing a finger at Aaron. “I never said anything about letting you go.”

  “What do you plan to do with us?”

  “That is yet to be determined,” he replied. “First I must learn the value of the information you provided us last night. For both your sakes, I hope you weren’t lying about King Basil’s intentions. Now no more questions! If you behave, perhaps Meklas will bring you breakfast.” With that, Bosh closed the pair of doors and barred them securely with a thick piece of oak wood lying on the ground. He signaled for Meklas and Gelt to follow him to the farmhouse.

  “How long do we have to keep them?” Meklas inquired, not looking forward to the tedious task.

  “Until they cease to be assets,” he said. “The one is a prince, and though I don’t expect Drogin’s offensive to fail, he’d make quite a nice bargaining piece if it does.”

  “What about the other one?” Gelt asked. “He’s not royalty.”

  “But the boy’s safety is of great concern to the prince, so that allows us control over him,” Bosh explained. “We’ll get rid of them only when we’re absolutely sure we don’t need them. Until then, they’ll remain here under your supervision. Now let’s have breakfast before Gelt and I take to the road. We have important news to spread to our contacts, compliments of the prince of Montavia.”

  “Well, we’re not dead yet, so I guess that’s a good thing,” William softly said, his words swallowed up in the suffocating gloom. The first hint of daylight was visible through cracks in the barn walls. A pair of small windows located high up near opposite ends of the roof revealed the drab gray morning.

  “Seems the only way out is the way we came in,” Aaron said as he
pushed against the pair of double doors. They held fast against his weight.

  “When it gets lighter, we’ll see where we stand. Maybe there’s another way out,” William said, plopping down on the ground. He sniffed the air a few times, grimacing. “Don’t know if I have an appetite for breakfast anymore. All I smell is rotten straw and,” he sniffed the air once more, “the delightful lingering aroma of cow. I suppose we could have had worse accommodations.”

  He sighed and leaned back against a wooden post, recalling the talk he had had with Bosh a few hours ago that saved Aaron’s life. He felt cold, wondering if he made the correct decision, assessing the consequences that might befall this kingdom because of his words. Should he have sacrificed both their lives for the sake of Rhiál? He thought he could have resisted Bosh to the very end if it had been only his life at stake, or so he imagined, gladly willing to die so that King Basil could achieve victory. But William realized he hadn’t the heart to sacrifice an innocent boy for the cause and wondered if he could ever lead a nation if such were the choices he’d be forced to make from time to time. He sadly shook his head, not fully convinced that a right choice even existed.

  Aaron sat across from William in the gloom, barely able to discern his outline. He rested his arms on bent knees, avoiding looking at the prince even through a veil of darkness. He realized the conflicted feelings William was probably battling right now and felt guilty that he was the cause of it.

  “I want to thank you for…” He sighed, looking at his friend. “Will, you shouldn’t have had to choose between my life and…”

  “You don’t have to say anything, Aaron. I did what I did and now it’s over. Maybe I should have let them kill us both.”

  “Maybe, but that’s easier said now than when you had no time to think about it.”

  “I suppose,” he replied. “But I feel rotten. I feel like I betrayed everybody. How do I live with that on my conscience?”