“When I last saw them outside the Citadel, they had decided to travel to Kargoth to visit Vellan himself,” Carmella said. “Liney, rather, proposed that foolhardy notion. Mune reluctantly went along. I guess his heart wasn’t in it from what I overheard.”
“Whether they reached Kargoth or not, I hope they both come to a sorry end,” Nicholas said. “They’re as great a menace as Vellan or Caldurian.”
“Which just goes to show that you don’t have to be a towering figure to cause lots of damage in this world,” Hobin said with dark humor. “Apparently any old fool can demonstrate that same talent and ruin a perfectly good day.”
“And today is a fine day indeed,” Carmella said, “now that Nicholas is here.”
“And yesterday was an astounding one,” Leo added, “now that Prince Brendan has returned.”
“Returned?” Nicholas curiously asked. “Where did he go?”
CHAPTER 96
A Wizard’s Web
Nicholas and Leo walked among the lines of mud-splattered wagons, rows of gray and white tents, and companies of soldiers building fires, preparing meals or engaged in mock swordplay. In time they spotted King Justin emerging from his tent on the lakeshore near a trio of pines. A campfire smoked and sputtered nearby. Exiting the tent with him were Prince Gregory, Max and the wizard Tolapari, followed by Kings Cedric and Rowan along with Eucádus and Captain Silas. All had been discussing the upcoming battles at Del Norác and Deshla prison. When King Justin saw Nicholas approach, he smiled with gratitude, greeting the young man with a brisk handshake and an affectionate slap on the shoulder.
“I don’t know why I’ve been blessed with two glorious spring days in a row,” the King said, “but fortune has smiled upon me by your appearance. Upon all of us.”
“Two glorious days? You must be referring to Prince Brendan as well,” Nicholas replied. “Leo told me some of his amazing story on the way over here, though the importance and manner of his return far outshines mine.”
“The presence of you both has been like a salve upon an open wound. You’ve lifted our spirits,” the King said. “I am so glad to see you again, Nicholas.”
“Thank you, sir,” he replied. “And pardon me for not accompanying Prince Gregory to your tent, but when I learned that Leo, Hobin and Carmella were here…”
“Think nothing of it,” King Justin said. “Max and I have settled our business. As the two armies move into place, all that’s left now is for ours to signal theirs as to when the action begins.”
“And a high and fiery signal it will be,” said Max.
King Justin introduced Nicholas to those whom he hadn’t met, all who expressed thanks for his contribution to the fight against Vellan. Eucádus was especially delighted to meet the other half of the team that helped free his homeland from the Enâri menace.
“Leo provided an account of your adventures,” he said. “I hope that before you return with Max, you might also give me your impressions of the journey to Wolf Lake. It’s an important piece of history that my fellow citizens of Harlow and the other mountain nations will want to know.”
“Happy to,” Nicholas replied, “though with King Justin’s permission, Max and I won’t be returning alone.”
“What’s all this about?” Max said with mock concern. “I broke my rule once about letting someone tag along with me. I’m setting a bad precedent.”
“If you already broke your rule, then two additional people won’t make much difference,” Nicholas said. “Besides, extra hands mean extra help preparing meals and gathering firewood.” He introduced Leo, informing Max that both Leo and Hobin had volunteered to accompany them back and help search for Ivy. “And being a stubborn lot, they wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
“Then I won’t argue the point,” Max replied.
“Nor will I,” King Justin said, granting his leave to Leo and Hobin. “Anyway, Max already informed me that he had anticipated two extra guests on the return journey and asked for my permission.”
Max, feigning disappointment, quietly remarked to the King. “With all due respect, sir, that bit of information was supposed to stay between us.”
Nicholas smiled. “Max, I think you enjoyed my company traveling here. Maybe it’ll become a habit from now on.”
He grunted. “Hardly. When this mission is over, I’ll have grown tired of the jabbering and the slower pace and will gladly send you all on your way. So don’t get used to this arrangement.”
Nicholas turned to Leo. “Sounds like Hobin,” he playfully remarked. “Think they could be related?”
“Two of them? Don’t know if I could tolerate that,” Leo said with exaggerated concern. “Double the moodiness and evasiveness whenever we have a conversation–that is, if they agree to talk at all.”
“And twice the rush to get moving early each morning!”
King Justin cleared his throat. “Are you two quite through?”
“I believe they were just getting started,” King Rowan said, amused by Nicholas and Leo’s banter. He was more appreciative of the lighter moments in life now after all the difficulties he had recently endured. “These two remind me of another pair of close friends who had spent too many weeks apart and are trying to make up for lost time. William and Brendan have been inseparable over the last day since my grandson’s memories have returned.”
“Will follows his older brother around like a shadow,” King Cedric remarked. “He is happy to see him and is quite protective.”
“That’s only natural after what they’ve been through,” King Rowan replied. “It will help them both heal.”
“Do you have time to tell me about your grandson’s story?” Nicholas asked. “Leo only touched upon the highlights.”
“Prince Brendan can tell you himself,” Eucádus said, pointing north up the lakeshore. “Here he comes now with Will at his side.”
Everyone looked on as the two brothers walked along the edge of the lake while dodging the lapping waves upon the stony shore. They were engaged in an animated discussion, laughing from time to time as one or the other’s hands would flail in the air depending upon who was emphasizing which particular point, and both oblivious to the many eyes watching them.
Caldurian was also observing at that moment. He sat alone by a fire farther south down the shoreline and away from the lake. He had just finished pitching a small tent where he spent his nights. Four teams of two guards had each made their own camps short distances away. They surrounded the wizard at four points in a large square and kept a collective, watchful eye on his seemingly pedestrian activities. Occasionally one of the soldiers in a fit of boredom would wander over and speak with him, but usually both Caldurian and his guards would keep to themselves. Today, however, when the wizard saw Brendan and William in the distance, he decided to make his move. He had heard stories about Brendan’s miraculous return and thought about nothing else, including how it might benefit him. The wizard strolled over to one of the guards who was eating lunch.
“May I have a word?” Caldurian politely asked, noting a flash of skepticism upon the man’s face. The wizard’s gray robes, faded and weather-beaten, were topped by a black cloak equally distressed by the elements. “I need to speak with King Justin.”
The soldier, holding a wooden bowl of stew in one hand and a spoon in the other, appeared quite skeptical. “Again? The King of Arrondale grows weary of your requests to meet with Carmella.”
“No! It is not about that, I assure you. I must speak to him about another matter, a very important matter.”
The soldier sighed as he finished off a spoonful of stew. His first instinct was to reject Caldurian’s request, but he and his fellow soldiers were instructed by King Justin to show a modicum of respect and civility to their charge. He looked up at the expectant wizard.
“Since I said no the last two times you asked me, I will relent this once if you would give me a few minutes to finish my meal. Then I will ask my captain for permission to escort you t
o King Justin’s tent–again–so you can present your inquiry.”
“That is more than fair,” Caldurian replied.
“But do not betray my kindness by badgering the King with your usual request,” the soldier warned, “or I will conveniently lose my hearing the next time you badger me.”
“Oh, do not worry,” Caldurian assured the man. “What I have to say to King Justin, he will very much want to hear.”
Nicholas smiled upon greeting Brendan and William, recalling their first meeting in the Citadel. Then, the two brothers had appeared young, energetic and innocent despite their daring escape from home. But now nearly five months later, he noted a striking change. Beyond their cheerful smiles and mops of blond hair, deep in their eyes were traces of pain and weariness not typical for two so young. As Nicholas listened to a brief recounting of their journey, he sadly learned the source of the brothers’ hidden sorrow yet admired their triumph to exist beyond it now that springtime had reunited them.
“But you must tell me what happened yesterday. How did you arrive at the shoreline?” Nicholas requested of Brendan. The group had comfortably settled around a small fire near King Justin’s tent, some sitting on rocks or pieces of split wood while others leaned against trees or stood in the background. “More importantly, how did you defeat death itself?”
“That was the question on all our minds yesterday,” King Rowan said. “But considering the circumstances, it was a delightful sense of uncertainty to possess.”
“It was hours before I finally convinced myself that I wasn’t dreaming,” William added.
“And you still aren’t,” Brendan said. “Shall I pinch you again to make sure?”
“Not necessary,” he replied, rubbing his upper right arm.
“So what happened?” Nicholas eagerly asked.
Brendan took a deep breath and spoke of his last frantic moments of life in the cabin one hundred and sixteen days ago. “After Arileez’ hand had transformed into a sharp talon, he stabbed me once and I fell. I heard my brother scream as the light faded. After that, I remember nothing,” he said, “until eleven days ago. That’s when I woke up in the Ebrean Forest wrapped in a blanket, struggling to free myself while lying amidst a circle of split firewood. I assumed I had been buried beneath a stack of it, though I don’t remember knocking the wood over.”
“Ramsey and his men had piled a mound of firewood around Brendan’s body,” William explained. “It had been well constructed, so I’m sure neither wind nor animal could have dismantled it as my brother described.”
“Regardless, that is how I found myself,” he continued. “Lost, tired and without any memories. I was confused, yet grateful for the abandoned cabin nearby where I took refuge for three days. As my strength returned, I sought a way out of the forest. I walked, having no sense of direction at times since the trees were numerous and the sun stayed hidden behind a veil of thick clouds for hours at a stretch. Eventually I emerged near the southeastern edge of the woods before my food ran out. I hiked east across the countryside of Drumaya, encountering no individual or any villages along the way. In time I reached the northern shores of Lake Mara and made camp. With time to think but still no memory, I hiked north along the shoreline, not knowing why I chose that direction.”
“Something deep in your mind must have pulled you that way,” King Justin said, “silently telling you that that was the way back to your family, to your home.”
“I journeyed for a short time, stopping now and then to rest or eat until I at last met someone on the long and lonely road in my new life. It was yesterday at midmorning when Prince Gregory visited my campsite, cheerfully though mistakenly greeting me by the name Max until he drew close enough to see my face.”
“That’s when my cheer turned into shock,” Prince Gregory said. “To have seen Brendan standing in front of me after I heard of his tragic demise, why I–” He rubbed his unshaven face, shaking his head. “Even now I haven’t the words to describe my astonishment and then soaring elation upon that strange encounter.”
“It took time for Brendan to fully trust us,” King Rowan told Nicholas. “He looked upon us all as strangers at first. His memories slowly returned later that afternoon as his brother talked incessantly to him like an excited magpie.”
“But it worked,” William replied. “I made him remember.”
“Yes, your persistence broke through and my memories flooded back,” Brendan said. “And so that, Nicholas, brings you up to date to this very moment.”
“Except for one question,” he replied. “How did all of these strange events happen to begin with? How did you cheat death?”
“To be precise, those are two questions,” a voice uttered from behind them. “But I may be able to provide some answers if King Justin will allow me to speak.”
“Caldurian, what are you doing here?” Tolapari snapped at his fellow wizard, his words threaded with contempt. “Haven’t you annoyed King Justin enough already?”
At the mention of Caldurian’s name, Nicholas shot a fiery glance at the wizard and locked gazes with him as he passed by. Each silently studied the other, their faces grim and hardened. Though never having laid eyes upon him before, Nicholas fumed inside, knowing so much about the wizard and his terrible deeds. Caldurian, at the same time, returned a perplexed yet cautious gaze, drawn to the young man’s stare as he wondered who he was, yet feeling that he might already know him.
Nicholas took a deep breath when the wizard finally turned his head away with a struggle, breaking eye contact. At last he had met the man who had brought so much chaos, death and destruction to his village twenty years ago. He recalled Frist’s astonishing words about his father’s demise. And though a particular, faceless Enâr had struck the fatal blow, Nicholas still blamed Caldurian and Vellan for the actual deed. He glanced at Leo, no words being necessary to convey his troubled state of mind.
“Steady now,” Leo whispered, grabbing Nicholas’ coat sleeve in case he harbored thoughts of lunging at Caldurian. “The wizard is harmless now from what I’ve heard.”
“What?” he quietly replied, shaking his head in confusion. “What is he doing here? And why didn’t you mention it earlier?”
“The reason is obvious, though I planned to tell you at some point–preferably when Caldurian wasn’t in your line of vision.” Leo shifted Nicholas’ attention to King Justin. “Let’s hear him out first,” he said, slowly releasing the grip on his sleeve.
The King walked to Caldurian like a weary teacher prepared to discipline a frequently disruptive student. “No!” he said before the wizard could speak, flashing an annoyed glance at the guard who had accompanied him here.
“But, King Justin, I’m not here to talk about visiting her!” he insisted. “Trust me, you will want to hear me out. I have news regarding King Rowan’s grandson, the one who has returned from the grave. And related information about your wounds.”
“What are you talking about?”
Caldurian looked at all the disapproving stares and whispered to the King. “Perhaps we should have this discussion in private.”
“Anything you have to say to me, you can say to everyone. Besides, Prince Brendan and King Rowan deserve to know what’s on your mind as does anyone else who has suffered because of your actions. So get on with it or return to your tent.”
“Very well. I’ll tell you and your friends what I know, or at least what I theorize,” he said, adjusting his cloak. “While I was your prisoner over the winter, I told you how I had freed Arileez from his confinement in the Northern Isles. The Umarikaya had been isolated on the island of Torriga since childhood by a powerful magic spell.”
“Yes,” the King replied. “We discussed many things, like the spy you cleverly planted in the rafters during the war council. I also remember you saying that Vellan’s plans had become misguided.”
“Yes, yes! But both those points are–beside the point,” he sheepishly replied to the quiet surprise of the others.
“Anyway, after Vellan learned of Arileez’ existence,” the King continued, “you said that Vellan created a potion to counter the spell that bound him to the island. He sent you to deliver the tonic, if I remember correctly.”
“You do, and I did. And after Arileez consumed the potion, he was able to leave Torriga after years of captivity, grateful to serve Vellan in exchange for his freedom.”
King Cedric scoffed. “Grateful? I can only imagine the lies and wild tales that Vellan ensnared Arileez with to get him to agree to replace King Justin. Or did Vellan place an enchantment on the pitiful being as well to gain his service? Perhaps he tricked Arileez into drinking from the Drusala River.”
Caldurian looked askance at the King of Drumaya. “It didn’t take much convincing for Arileez to throw in his lot with Vellan. After all, Arileez, like Vellan, had been shunned and cruelly treated by his people.”
“Vellan was not treated unfairly by his fellow wizards!” Tolapari jumped in. “He simply couldn’t control his ambitions and desire for power. He created one excuse after another to justify the chaos he had spread across Laparia for the last fifty years.”
“Regardless, the Umarikaya was more than happy to assist him. Let’s not quibble about details,” Caldurian replied. “That is not my point.”
“Then make your point,” King Justin said. “What has any of this got to do with Prince Brendan’s or my injuries?”
“The potion that Vellan had created to free Arileez contained, how shall I say, a little more kick to it than the unsuspecting Arileez was led to believe,” he said. “Vellan had added a second, secret spell to that potent blend about which only he and I knew.”
“To do what?” Tolapari asked. He and King Justin looked on with simmering disdain, both expecting some treachery in the offing.
“Once Arileez drank that potion, his fate was sealed. The slow and stealthy magic had already gone to work to–” Caldurian seemed ashamed for what he was about to say, causing him to look briefly at the ground. “That second spell slowly reversed Arileez’ magical powers, including his ability to transform into other shapes. In time, and without his knowledge, he would have been rendered a mere mortal.”
Nicholas Raven and the Wizards' Web (The Complete Epic Fantasy) Page 151
