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

by Thomas J. Prestopnik

“They will not accept it!” Oscar fumed, slamming his hand upon the table. “You cannot treat people like this.”

  “But they have no choice,” Caldurian responded as if his point exuded only pure logic and was incapable of being misunderstood. “My armed men outnumber your unarmed villagers and outmatch them in strength and ability. We are the superior force. It’s as simple as that. And while you may be bothered by questions of morality and inconvenience, I am not. I’ve defeated your village and that is the plain truth. Your righteous words will neither repel a sword nor change my mind. So unless you can raise a force strong enough to overthrow me, then I’m here to stay as long as I choose. And that is why I make the rules,” he said, savoring another sip of tea.

  The village officials sat speechless, their mouths agape and shoulders slumped. In their minds they knew that Caldurian spoke the truth and had them beat, yet their hearts couldn’t accept such a fate, not even for a second. But the pummeling of their spirits continued when the wizard outlined more of his instructions. This included the seizure of certain, larger properties for the use of housing and feeding his troops, the confiscation of all food contained in root cellars and storage sheds for redistribution among the population, and the assignment of citizens to various jobs for the proper running of the village. Resistance to these orders, he emphasized, would result in summary imprisonment.

  “And you will make a sincere effort to convince your people that these things must be done,” Caldurian instructed the mayor.

  “And if he refuses?” Ned asked.

  The wizard threw a sharp glance at Ned, his eyes smoldering with ire. “You should not want to have that discussion, Mr. Adams. It will not be pleasant.”

  “Well I think that–”

  “Please wait,” Maynard said, raising a hand as he sadly nodded. “The wizard is right, I’m sorry to say. At the moment we have no choice but to do as he wishes, as detestable as that prospect may be. The safety and lives of everyone in Kanesbury are at stake, and as long as I’m mayor, I won’t risk bringing them death and destruction just to make us feel better at this table.” He glared at the wizard, pointing his finger at the man. “But don’t think for a moment that I won’t do everything in my power to oppose you and finally run you and your brutes out of town.”

  “I’d be disappointed if you didn’t try,” Caldurian replied with an amused smile. “My time here would be awfully dull otherwise, so good luck with that.”

  A meeting was scheduled for noontime that same day inside the village hall with one resident of each household required to attend. A sea of scared and angry faces stared back at the wizard enrobed in his black cloak and towering silently in front of the meeting table with a seemingly uncomfortable Maynard Kurtz at his side. The five members of the village council sat on the bench off to one side while armed guards were scattered around the room. After Maynard explained the situation and highlighted Caldurian’s demands, it took some time to calm the expected outrage and settle raw nerves. At one point, the troops unsheathed their swords for effect, the sunlight reflecting off the deadly steel. But even that display couldn’t quell the crowd completely.

  “You will not tell us how to live!” someone shouted out.

  “And you will learn to listen and obey!” Caldurian shot back.

  “Who’s going to make us?” another person defiantly replied.

  With his patience wearing thin, the wizard stepped forward while uttering a few inaudible words and extended both arms like the wings of a vulture, causing all the windows along both sides of the chamber to suddenly burst outward into tiny shards of glass. People screamed and ducked for safety as gusts of cold air rushed into the room, dispelling any remaining thoughts of rebellion or feelings of bravado that lingered only moments ago.

  As Caldurian lowered his arms, Maynard took a step away from him, appearing frail and frightened despite his equal stature to the wizard. The room fell silent as the villagers stared transfixed at the man who now controlled their fates. The wizard nodded at one of the armed guards to return his sword to its sheath. The others simultaneously followed his lead. After what seemed a long stretch of uncomfortable silence, the wizard spoke again.

  “That will be the last demonstration I give to prove that I am in charge of your lives,” he said in a low, steady tone. “From here on, I will let the deadly tip of a cold sword or a swift arrow make my point. And trust me, there will be no second warnings. So now that the interruptions are concluded, Mayor Kurtz can continue to speak. And when he talks of reassigning some of you to new jobs, one of the first will be to replace all of these windows. It’s suddenly gotten rather chilly in here, hasn’t it?”

  The sun had nearly set when Katherine Durant found herself working in familiar surroundings–laboring in the kitchen of Oscar and Amanda Stewart’s home. Their property had been one of many that Caldurian seized, though still having a modicum of influence, Oscar was able to request many of the people he would like to see working in his home after it was turned into a dining facility for the wizard’s troops. Katherine told him that she was more than happy to help.

  “I heard that some of my friends had to assist in clearing out root cellars and transporting the food to nearby barns where it would be stored and distributed as needed.” Katherine attempted a smile as she set down a stack of dirty plates on a counter. “I guess serving meals and scrubbing dishes isn’t so bad after all,” she whispered to Oscar as she stepped out of the room to clear more of the makeshift tables hastily built out of wooden planks that had been set up in several rooms around the house.

  “The front and back lawns have been trampled to death!” Amanda complained at the same instant to her husband as she entered the kitchen after a brief inspection of the premises, her complexion painted in scarlet hues. “I have half a mind to grab a fire poker and teach some of these Islanders a thing or two!”

  “Now, my dear, that would be most unwise,” Oscar said, gently taking his wife by the arm and leading her into the pantry near the ice boxes. He noted the confusion and melancholy in her eyes and felt his own spirit entwined in the same poisonous bonds. “We must remain strong, Amanda, or else we’ll never get out of this mess.”

  “I know,” she said, on the verge of tears, “but I don’t like it. I don’t want this. This isn’t the way life is supposed to be!”

  “That’s why we have to fight,” Oscar said. “And we will.” He glanced back into the kitchen, and seeing that no one was close enough to hear, he leaned toward his wife and whispered into her ear. “There are already plans in motion to set up a resistance. Some of us are meeting later in secret–Maynard, Ned and a few others.” Oscar smiled tenderly. “We’ll teach that wizard a lesson yet.”

  Amanda blinked away a few tears, grateful for those words of hope. “I know you will,” she softly replied, hugging him before quickly composing herself. “Now I suppose I should act like the supervisor I’m supposed to be.”

  “And I’ll leave to make sure the next shipment of food is delivered for tomorrow’s breakfast,” Oscar said, leading her back to the kitchen. “I suppose Morris will never want to crack another egg when this is all over!”

  Katherine sighed with weariness as she cleaned up another table in a side room, now empty of soldiers as the evening mealtime was winding down. The steady drone of voices and occasional laughter drifted in from the main room where several other girls were attending to the last diners of the night. Several soldiers congregated outside, smoking pipes and sharing stories before continuing on to their assigned duties or sleeping stations in other houses or barns. Katherine was glad to work here and return to her home at the end of the day which was sure to be warm and wafting with the scent of freshly baked bread since her mother had been designated as one of the bread suppliers for the village. She also wondered how Lewis was faring, splitting and hauling wood to supply the ovens and fireplaces around the village. Though he was one of a handful of employees who regularly performed that work for Oscar, a small host
of men had now been recruited to fell trees on the edge of the Cumberland to keep Caldurian’s operation going. Katherine hoped to see him next time he made a delivery here.

  “Look where you’re going, woman!” someone shouted from the next room. “I’ll ask to have you reassigned to barn work if you don’t watch yourself!”

  Katherine hurried around the corner to see what was going on. A chorus of scornful laughter erupted from three soldiers who sauntered past a young girl and left the room upon a cloud of arrogance. A few soldiers sitting at another table left shortly afterward, having also finished their meals. A tall, young man with dark hair glanced at Katherine and the other girl as he left, his unshaven face expressionless.

  “I’m truly sorry,” the young girl meekly responded to no one in particular, stooping over to pick up the pieces of a broken plate she had dropped. Katherine bent down to help clean up the mess.

  “Are you all right, Lana? I’ve seen dogs eat their meals with better manners than some of these men,” she said in a playful tone, hoping to cheer her up.

  The girl nodded. “I’ll be fine. I was just a little nervous and tired. It’s been such a long day.”

  “For all of us,” Katherine agreed, gathering up the last of the broken bits. She helped Lana carry the remaining dirty dishes into the kitchen and told her to sit down at a table in the corner of the room bustling with washers and cooks against a background of crackling flames, steaming pots and cluttered counters. “Have you eaten?”

  Lana shook her head. “It’s been so busy. The other girls took their turns first.”

  “That’s no reason to go hungry yourself.” Katherine hurriedly prepared the girl a plate of food and a cup of hot tea and set it down before her. “Now eat and let the rest of us finish clearing the tables. The mad rush is over as most everybody has left.”

  “At least until tomorrow,” Lana replied with a thin laugh. “Then we get to do it all over again!”

  “That’s the spirit,” Katherine said encouragingly, noting that the supply of firewood near the main oven was getting low. “I’ll fetch another armful of wood outside. I could use a bit of fresh air right now.” She slipped out the back door into the shadowy darkness splashed with lunar light from the nearly full Bear Moon ascending in the east. A gentle glow from the kitchen fire and oil lamps radiated through the steamed window panes.

  Katherine wandered past the shrubbery, inhaling the cool, sweet air of a dying autumn night. The voices of several soldiers in the near distance stirred up angry revulsion in her heart, causing her to wonder how such a fate had befallen the village. The events of the past few days seemed so unreal, as if she were trapped in an unending nightmare. But here she was, a captive in her own village, forced to work in the kitchen of some dear friends whose house had been invaded by strangers. She didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, but realized she must fight back if this cruel injustice were to end. But she had no idea where to begin.

  “Maybe next time your clumsy friend will learn how to handle a plate if she doesn’t want to be made fun of in the dining hall!” spouted a soldier in the darkness.

  Katherine glanced to her left as she wandered along the house, seeing a tall figure striding toward her, for a moment confused as her thoughts had been interrupted. “What?” she softly asked. “Were you speaking to me?”

  “Sure I was,” he said, walking up to Katherine and now speaking in a voice just loud enough for his fellow soldiers in the distance to hear. “Where’d she learn to serve meals anyway?” A ripple of laughter emanated from his friends standing under some trees near the north side of the property.

  Katherine turned in disgust and hurried in the opposite direction as the man quickly followed. “Go amuse yourself somewhere else! I have better things to do than listen to you,” she sharply replied. “Cleaning out a horse stable comes to mind.”

  “Well have fun doing that,” he taunted as they walked around the southeast corner of the house. The man spoke in lower tones now, confident he was out of earshot of his friends.

  “Why are you following me?” Katherine asked, stopping and planting her feet in the dried grass. In the moon glow and the light from the windows, she could see that the man was only a few years older than her, his dark hair slightly unkempt, his face unshaven. And though she expressed nothing but contempt for him, when she stared into his eyes, she sensed a kindness that belied his provocative attitude.

  “I truly don’t mean to bother you,” he whispered, glancing around to make sure nobody was watching them. “I only wish to apologize for how those men treated your friend inside. I watched them leave and saw you helping the girl.”

  “And I’m supposed to think what?” Katherine replied, unnerved by his presence though not prepared to show it. “It’s a funny thing to apologize for something while causing all this tumult at the same time.”

  “I agree,” the man continued, “but I’m sorry nonetheless. I just wanted you to know that not all of us agree with what’s happening.”

  “Then why are you here?” she bluntly countered.

  The man shook his head sadly, staring at the ground for a moment before looking at Katherine, obviously troubled. “I don’t have time to explain since I have to return to the others, but you must realize that life in the Northern Isles is nothing like in Arrondale. We’re forced to serve for a time in our military, and since the aim of our leaders is expanding our influence off the Isles and acquiring more land, well, we end up involved in missions like the invasion of Montavia and in alliances with Vellan himself.”

  Katherine appeared skeptical. “But this is Kanesbury? Surely we are not of any strategic value.”

  The soldier grinned. “No, you aren’t. But Caldurian has his own personal agenda from rumors I’ve heard, and our commanders have compelled us to do his bidding.” The young man leaned in and whispered. “There are some of us who think about running away now that we’re off the Island, but it’s a dangerous risk. Several who unsuccessfully tried in Montavia have been imprisoned. A few even killed. But maybe one day I’ll make a run for it if the timing is right.”

  “Then I wish you luck,” Katherine replied, feeling a bit sorry for the man.

  “My name is Paraquin, by the way. And again, I’m sorry for the trouble.”

  Katherine was about to give him her name, but hesitated, still not fully trusting the man. “Though I sense that your words are heartfelt, I still have a difficult time forgiving you.”

  “I’m not asking for your forgiveness, nor do I believe I deserve it,” he replied. “Still, I wanted you to know. So if there’s ever anything I can do…”

  “You can march your army out of here. That would surely convince me of your sincerity.” She grew suddenly downcast. “Or return some of my friends to me. I’m convinced Caldurian is somehow connected to their fates.”

  “What are you talking about?” Paraquin asked.

  Katherine shook her head apologetically. “I suppose you’re not to blame for that,” she said, briefly telling him about Nicholas’ abrupt departure and Adelaide Cooper’s disappearance. “It’s just that their troubles occurred as the Enâri creatures reawakened and escaped from the Spirit Caves east of our village. I can’t help feel that Caldurian is somehow responsible, though I can’t prove it. And while I believe Nicholas is safe, I can’t imagine where Adelaide might be or if she’s even still alive.” Katherine wiped away a tear. “You’d better go back to your friends before they grow suspicious. I still have much work to do before I can go home.”

  “Very well,” Paraquin said. “I hope this ends soon. I really mean that.”

  “So do I,” she softly replied, watching him disappear around the corner of the house as the rising Bear Moon illuminated the treetops with its cold, harsh stare. Katherine let a few more moments pass before she casually walked back to the kitchen door to face a second night in captivity.

  CHAPTER 44

  Dark Discussions

  They sat in cold darkness, unwi
lling to risk lighting even one candle for fear of being discovered. The empty root cellar smelled of the potatoes, carrots, radishes and other food stores that had been hauled away the previous day to one of the local barns. Oscar earlier suggested that there wouldn’t be a better place to hold the first meeting of the resistance than in one of the cleaned out cellars since the enemy would have no reason to return. Maynard agreed that it was an inspired idea. So on the third night of the invasion, ten people secretly gathered to discuss retaking their village.

  They had approached the root cellar behind Freddy Dobbin’s house one at a time and at five minute intervals so as not to be noticed, scurrying through trees and shadows when the way was clear from roving patrols and suspicious eyes. When the last man finally arrived, the meeting was called to order despite that fact that no one could see each other’s faces.

  “Thanks for showing up tonight,” Maynard whispered, his voice deadened by the wall of rock surrounding them as if they were entombed inside a crypt. “You all took quite a risk for our beloved village, but it’ll be worth it in the end. And thanks to Freddy for allowing us to use his place.”

  “It’s my honor,” Freddy responded in the inky blackness. “And thank you to Oscar for recruiting me. After they raided my place, my wife and I vowed to do whatever we could to rid Caldurian and his mob from Kanesbury. But not to worry. I didn’t say a word to her about this meeting.”

  “Very good, Freddy. I knew you’d be an excellent choice for this initial group,” Oscar replied, “though I suspect we’ll need to enlist more people than just the ten of us to make this work.”

  Also in the root cellar were Ned Adams and Len Harold, along with Len’s son, Owen. When Oscar first confided with Maynard about choosing people, they mutually decided that it would be safest not to involve all the members of the village council or Constable Brindle in case their plot was discovered. Oscar also invited Lewis Ames and three other villagers to round out the group.