Karlaan looked unconvinced and replied, "I have been patient as you have said, but not everyone has the years to be patient that you must have. An immortal can wait for his enemies to age and weaken. We mortals need to act while we are still young enough to do so."
Eyes narrowing slightly as he contemplated the younger man, Caldrefan wondered if Karlaan was going to be so reckless as to call him an immortal. His hair dyed brown hid the silver coloring beneath. When his hair grew out enough to expose the roots, most would simply think that he was starting to show his age. He had gone to great lengths to prevent anyone from suspecting the truth of the brotherhood's leader. Changing his name and moving from city to city working with new brothers was the only way to prevent being recognized by those who had served with him for much of their lives.
"Enlighten me as to your thoughts then. If I have let you down, then certainly you have the right to act as you see fit; but I hope that I can at least counsel you in moving correctly."
Karlaan didn't seem surprised that the elder had given in so easily. Perhaps he knew Caldrefan well enough to expect it. They had known each other for over twenty years after all and the boy looked on him almost like a father. Boys watched their fathers learning what to do and what not to do. Maybe it was time for the young man to have some say in his future.
"You've had the men preaching that Orlaan and the royal family are abusing their power. They say that they don't care and that Sordrian doesn't approve of them, even as he has sent the brothers to care for those ignored.
"An old man dying in the night is hardly the gods bringing judgment. Maybe it is time to see tragedy finally come to them or at least the things that matter to them?"
"Like what," Caldrefan questioned as he wondered where the boy's mind had led him. He had done his best to train Karlaan to be intelligent as a leader. The mentor had hoped to keep him pliable to his will, but perhaps it was time to loosen the reins and let him flex his muscles.
Glancing over his shoulder, the one who wished to become king checked whether they were being watched or listened to, just as Caldrefan had moments ago. It made the older man want to smile. The instincts were a little behind his, but appeared to be there none the less.
Karlaan didn't answer, but led the way deeper into the hall. Capable of watching the approach from either direction for dozens of feet, the young man confided, "Have you decided to eliminate Orlaan or his heirs?"
It was a blatant question and made his mentor feel disappointment. A ridiculous call for their heads was just the foolhardy impetuousness he had been guarding against. Still, the question demanded an answer, "It is likely that some will need to be dealt with. Two of the more distant in the line are on a ship to Southwall and will be beyond our reach for awhile, unless you are thinking to send assassins by ship to catch them unawares?"
Waving off the comment, Karlaan tried a different question. "If I were to... pull at the threads a bit to harry them, would it disrupt whatever you have in mind?"
The query made his mentor blink in surprise. This wasn't the track he had expected from the younger man. He had hoped that his training had given the boy wisdom, but this was more subtle than he could have foreseen.
"I don't think so," was his best answer at the vague disclosure. "Of course, if you wish to discuss your plans or at least are willing to warn me when you wish to try something, perhaps that would still be best. We wouldn't want to counter each other in this."
"I have a few ideas," Karlaan said with a sly smile.
The prow of the Sea Dragon lifted and fell with such regularity that Annalicia felt like she could have counted each rise on time. While the wizard noted the rise and fall, her balance had already adjusted to life on a ship. Not everyone did so well and three days out, they had passed the furthest island north of Malaiy long enough ago that no other piece of land tempered the shift of the sea. That meant the waves had become taller and her vision could pan all around to see only the dark blue green of the Glacian Ocean.
A cool breeze came from the west. They were still far enough south that most of the crew looked like they were dressed for summer, but the breeze foretold of what was to come as they continued north. It was winter north of the equator, and while Malaiy might barely feel the change of seasons, North Continent was hardly as gentle.
Annalicia's bare feet gave her a sure footing on a deck that could tilt several degrees with each wave, even as the ship cut through the upper portion of each. She also wore a skirt that only touched the tops of her knees, which tended to bring frowns to the wizards supposedly escorting the young women. The sailors, who were all male, were less judgmental and smiled at the pretty ladies often behind hands to avoid the dark looks from their protectors.
"I can't believe that you are still warm," Xerese complained as she held the rail only a few feet away. A dress that touched her ankles and had long sleeves covered her dark haired cousin except for her hands and head. She sported boots, but Anna had noted her slip thanks to their heels more than once.
"I would say that it has something to do with being an air wizard, but Jezra is almost as bundled up as you are already," the girl with the silver blonde hair laughed glancing towards a man with a shaved head wearing a cap. His dark goatee might keep his chin warm; but his decision to shave his head apparently left him cold. He also wore a shirt with long sleeves, while Annalicia's short sleeve blouse was both lightweight and too short to do more than touch the top of her skirt. The breeze often slipped under the light material tickling her skin.
"Maybe we're just less willing to risk catching our death by cold," Xerese replied with a tight lipped smile. Her cheeks were slightly red from the breeze, yet the dark haired girl also managed to look a little pale.
Xerese's stomach had begun to be more upset after passing Alken more than a day before. She had sailed often up and down the western coast with her mother, the Duchess Pherena. Her mother's assigned city was days away by ship, but she also had a manor that was larger than the one owned by Annalicia's parents in Yalan. Because of the second home in the capitol, the two girls had seen each other often. The duchess preferred Yalan to Teyas and spent more time at her manor than the castle to the south for years.
While her cousin had sailed often, moving away from land between the continents brought choppier water than she usually was exposed to on her travels.
Xerese looked at the wizard she had mentioned. He wasn't alone. The five wizards seemed to take turns watching over the two girls as if they didn't trust a crew paid by Anna's father. The Sea Dragon was one of her family's ships. Their trade business involved several ships and her father not only ran their company, but had been named Master of Coin by King Orlaan. Though she doubted that her father had made them richer than her uncle, his prowess had made Orlaan respect him enough to bestow the title on Philip instead of a blood relative.
It was a rare sign of respect, and the king's treasury had profited from putting someone with talent in the position.
Looking at Jezra, Anna noted Reynolvan and Ivanor in arm's reach. Both men were watching the two women stoically. She doubted that they approved of her outfit as well, but the girl didn't care. Their continual watching over her did annoy her; however Annalicia could do little about it. It was like she had five over protective older brothers and Alex had never been so bad.
"Hasn't your stomach settled yet?" Annalicia asked pulling her eyes from the other wizards. "I brought along tablets that help with seasickness."
Xerese laughed and asked with a smile on her lips, "You worried that you would be seasick?"
Shrugging in response, the light haired girl returned, "I haven't sailed out this far either. I couldn't know how I would feel, so I brought them along just in case. You still look a bit pale. Did you sleep at all?"
Her cousin had been sick enough to not be able to eat much. They shared the large guest room that had been appropriated from Captain Delfren. The man had moved his belongings to a shared room with one of his officers
, but he could hardly make the daughter of his boss use anything but the best room.
She had known that Xerese hadn't felt well, but the sea air and rocking of the ship had served to put her to sleep very well. If Xerese hadn't slept, she would never have known.
"I slept, but woke up a few times." The dark haired girl frowned slightly at the thought. "Maybe I should try one of those pills?"
"It is a long way to the next piece of land," Anna nodded. "Sileoth takes about two weeks from what the captain tells me."
Xerese frowned. "If it takes two weeks to get there, isn't it about the same to Hala? Why did we leave two weeks early?"
"We can't show up at the last second and hope to be ready for the tournament," she replied in surprise that Xerese was thinking so shortsightedly. "We've given the extra time to accommodate light winds and stopovers at some of the cities. Father made sure to send along some trade for the route. He wanted to make sure that the trip paid for itself," Anna finished with a little laugh.
"I guess that is why he is the Master of Coin," her cousin agreed with a smile.
Nodding at Xerese, she looked out from the port side of the ship and noticed creatures swimming parallel to the Sea Dragon. Blue gray skin that could blend into the color of the ocean was made more noticeable by the froth of water trailing from their streamlined bodies as they cut through the ocean. Double fins on their backs rose above the water and on occasion they would lift nearly fully out of the sea revealing side fins and a thick tail which was the source of most of their speed.
"Are those dolferim?" Annalicia asked aloud making her cousin turn to look at about a dozen of the creatures following a leader. They might be swimming in a pod, but the wizard was pretty sure that they were keeping an eye on the ship as well. Painted blue, she wondered if they thought the Sea Dragon was another sea creature?
"Dolferim or dolferuin, I don't really know the difference. I don't suppose we could get lucky and see merfolk," Xerese said wistfully of the legendary people said to swim in the sea. No one had conclusive proof that such people existed; but if magic was involved, the wizard supposed that the myth could be based on truth. Since no one had ever proved that they existed, Anna doubted that they would be the ones to get lucky and see them on this trip.
"That would be amazing, but I wouldn't hold my breath," Annalicia laughed at the idea.
Xerese sighed and the two girls watched the playful sea creatures for nearly an hour before they tired of their play and suddenly peeled off for the west to disappear from sight.
More days would pass, but few sights as interesting as the dolferim would appear until they sighted land that was the southwestern coast of Sileoth. It made the trip become rather monotonous and made Annalicia wish that she could have passed up the need to go to the distant nation for this tournament. She didn't have that option thanks to the wizard's council and the king as well from what Anna had heard from the queen's mouth at her send off.
Sileoth was just the halfway point, and the Sea Dragon continued to sail onward.
Chapter 5- Fires in the Night
Philip stepped back looking at the smoking ruin of what had once been two warehouses. The fire had been so intense and out of control that the flames had leaped to the nearby dock, though by that point sailors had hurried to snuff out potential danger to their ships. It was beyond their capabilities to stop the warehouses from burning down, however, and only the arrival of a team of wizards stopped the fires from spreading to any other buildings.
The Master of Coin had woken to a beating on the gates of his home. Guards had answered the call, but the man's half elf ears had been acute enough to alert him before they could wake his wife. She had slept sound even after her husband had hurried quietly down the steps to their home's entryway.
While they hadn't been warehouses for their family business, the two buildings affected did belong to the king. One was nearly empty, but the second had been filled with flammable materials waiting to be shipped. It would cost the king's business thousands of gold coins, but the five men killed in the fire could never be replaced.
Families had already been notified and wives held crying children trying to be strong knowing that their husbands were gone, even as they watched the fire fighters working to secure the area.
"Master Eremia," one of his personal guards addressed him as he returned from a closer examination of the burned out buildings, "both warehouses are a complete loss. There is nothing more that we can do here now that the fires have been put out by the wizards."
Philip wondered how far the fires would have spread without the wizards to contain them with their magic. A fire brigade had appeared and dozens of men had been using portable pump carts to bring water directly from the sea. Even with four pumps supplying water to eight hoses, they had been unable to restrain the fire by themselves.
"Has the king sent anyone else out to check on the fire, Narden?"
"Not that I've seen, sir," the guard replied looking to the five other men at Philip's side or behind him. They hadn't seen any other official from the king aside from the Master of Coin and Philip guessed that he had become the one who must bring word of the loss to Orlaan.
The wizards and soldiers who had been sent to fight the fire stood nearby drinking water. Even fighting the flames from a distance like the wizards had, the smoke and use of magic had drained the men enough to require liquids to soothe their throats. Black soot smudged faces and clothing letting him know that the blaze had been dangerous enough even for them.
"I think the wizards can supervise the remaining work. We had better head to the castle and let the king know what happened here," Philip stated and started to turn towards the horses that they had tied off nearly a block away. Prudence had made them leave the animals far enough away to be safe. Horses feared fire and this blaze would have certainly been enough to kick in their instincts to flee.
The trip to the king's castle took time and left the half elf lord mostly to his own thoughts. He was no expert on fire, though there would be those sent by Orlaan later to try and discover what had started the conflagration; but it was likely arson. It also wasn't first of the week, which lent towards his suspicion of foul play. Three fires in total had happened and all were confined to buildings owned by the king's interests.
Running a country was an expensive business and not all was set upon the shoulders of the king's people. Taxes were still collected, but King Orlaan owned many buildings and businesses in the city. Some were under Philip's guidance; and as the king's Master of Coin, he was one of the men who would have to figure out how this would impact his liege and how to repair the damage, if he could.
When his small party arrived at the gates of the wall surrounding the castle, guards were on high alert. The other fires had seemed like a coincidence perhaps, but so many had the makings of an attack. If the king's interests were being targeted, they could believe that Orlaan's home could possibly be attacked as well. Only vigilance would keep such a thing from happening, so Philip had to bear with their attention as soon as his horsemen were in sight.
Being the Master of Coin, the soldiers didn't leave him waiting outside for long. He was regular enough in his visits that most men knew his face. A special medallion worn around his neck also told of his office and dedication to the king. Even so, his men were made to wait in the first courtyard while Philip followed an officer surrounded by four royal guards to a room believed safe near the heart of his castle.
The sight of King Orlaan wearing a long coat to cover the clothes he had been sleeping in before he had been interrupted by runners warning of the fire as he spoke with several members of his circle of advisors met Philip's eyes as he passed through a pair of newly opened doors. A large meeting room sometimes used to meet with other countries' dignitaries had grand numerous paintings hung on the four walls. Blue and silver draperies broke up the brick walls hanging from rods placed near the height of the ceiling falling to just inches above the floor. The gray stone o
f the walls was mirrored in the tiles making up the floor of the chamber. A long, dark brown, table surrounded by a dozen chairs occupied the center of the room, but only one man had chosen to sit in the face of this crisis. Whether they could guess at what had happened or word had reached them, they had allowed themselves different levels of nervousness compounded by his arrival.
"Marq Philip," the king addressed the man by his title as well as his name, "what is the news from the docks?"
Married to a marquess, the king's niece, Philip had entered a world very different from the one he had been born into in Eirdhen. His mother's people were elves and descendants of a people from another world. The doors to the "Old World", as they called it, had been closed as far as he knew since the first fall of the emperor, also known as the Dark One.
The elves had come to this world and adapted as best they could and several towns weaved into the forests of Eirdhen had sprung up quickly. His people did their best to work with the land and trees. They tried to avoid harming the forest while making their homes, though there was bound to be some disruption when so many people needed to live there. Philip was from the second generation born in Alus, and some of the first elves remained alive to teach their beliefs, though many of the first refugees had since passed away. The elves had long lives, longer than humans by hundreds of years, but they bore children much slower as well.
Being born to an elf woman and immortal, human father; no one could guess what that would mean for one like him. He wasn't alone. Philip was the third son and fourth child of Darius and Electra. Other elves had met and married humans from their surroundings also. Such assimilation wasn't common yet, but the pure blood of his ancestors was mixing with the inhabitants of the new world enough to wonder what changes each side would bring to the other over time.
The Unexpected Heir: A Tale of Alus Page 7
