He lay the letter down, sits back with his cup of wine in thought. "You can get to the capital in a day?"
I nodded, "Yes."
"Do you know what is in these letters?"
"I do not. They were sealed, and they did not share their content with me."
"The King says you saved his life, and he is not given to false praise."
"He looked like he would have done all right, he just needed a little help."
"The Queen says it was three against one. Had you not intervened he would have surely been killed and she would have been next."
"After the King read your letter, where I'm guessing you told him the Spymaster was behind the assassination attempts. He confronted the Spymaster. The King had not expected the Spymaster to have laid plans if they found him out. Two of the King's guards were the Spymaster's men. They caught the King unaware. I finished paying a debt I owed."
"He also says you cleaned out the castle of spies."
"Before he died, I convinced him to tell me who else was working with him. I also found papers naming them. I removed them from service."
He stared at me thinking, "you're a mage."
"I can do a few tricks that helped me in my career as a thief. I guess you could call me a mage, but an untrained, minor one, at best."
"That's why they called you Ghost."
"Yes, and no. Everyone just thought I was a good thief. I kept my talents hidden; you know how superstitious people are. You are the first person to guess the truth."
"No one ever suspected?"
"I always worked alone and was careful about what I did where."
"The King knows?"
"He did not say?"
"No."
"To save him, I had to appear through the wall behind his attackers. He saw me. The Queen saw me leave through the same wall."
"That's how you were able to save me when the building collapsed on me." I nodded. "So only the three of us know of your talents."
"Yes."
"The King also said he would have to think of some reward to give you for saving his life."
"Great, he'll probably give me more land, so I must pay more taxes."
The Prince laughed, "such is the price of service."
"He says he is sending an army of three thousand men, under the command of my brother the Crown Prince. But we must hold until they get here. They will move faster than we did, but it will still take them three or four weeks."
"We are in a good position here; we'll see how many men those Knights come back with. And how many makes it in with Master Sargent Miller." He nodded.
"Port West Gate is a weak point. A Hinterland ship was already in port, something happened, and it burned to the waterline. Or so they told me. I've got them started on improving the Fort there. That was the best I could do at the time."
"We must start sending out scouts to see how far away the Hinterlanders are." He stopped and looked at me. "You could do that couldn't you? The way you travel to the capital?"
I nodded," I can."
"How long would it take you?"
"That depends on how far away they are."
"We need to know where they are, how many they are, and how long before they get here."
"I'll eat then I'll go."
"Are you going to continue to be Captain Drake, or are you coming out into the open."
"It's already an open secret. I see no reason to keep hiding now. I'm now out in the open."
"Very well, let's go get something to eat, and I'll head out."
✽✽✽
I fast-travelled to the narrowing pass that I blocked. No one was there, and as far as I could tell no one had been there. I headed north. When I found them, they were two days travel from the blocked pass.
I glided along under them looking. They had pike men, men-at-arms, archers, and both heavy and light cavalry. There must have been fifty Knights, and between three and four thousand men. Following the main army were the support, and supply wagons, fifty in all.
The trip back around the crags would take two or three weeks. They would use up supplies. Then it was three to four weeks back to Black Stag Keep. Again, using more supplies, tiring their Army. We had maybe two months before they would get to us. A lot could happen in two months.
I fast-travelled to where we had left the Black Stag Company wagons. Master Sargent had made it to them, and all was well. There were more men here than just Black Stag men. The other mercenary company was also here.
I stopped to listen. "We'll hire you on at winter pay, provide horses to get you in to Black Stag Keep. After that you must get your own horses."
"Agreed."
"We'll get your wagon teams hitched at first light. We leave right away." The other company was mostly intact just no horses. This would give us more men at the Keep. It was a good deal for all of us.
I went back to the Keep and rested in the earth beneath it.
✽✽✽
Prince Kade was in the mess hall for breakfast. I got a plate of food and joined him at his table. He motioned me to sit down, and we talked as we ate.
"What news?"
"Fifty Knights, four thousand men, and a supply train of fifty wagons are two days from the Northern Pass." He nodded thinking. I told him the breakdown of the army. How many of each unit?
"So, they'll be here in a week."
"No, six weeks to two months, if they don't go home. I left them a surprise."
He stopped eating, "what kind of surprise?"
"I put some rocks across the passes narrowing."
"Rocks?” How big are these rocks?"
"You know the rocks that surround our valley?"
"You mean the crags?"
"Yeah, like those."
"You blocked the pass with crags? Did you make the crags somehow?"
"No, they were already there, I just asked them to come up out of the ground."
He stared at me, "you enjoy doing this to me don't you."
I smiled.
"Next time start with that kind of information."
I shrugged my shoulders. "Our company will be here in a week, with what's left of the company that attacked us on the road."
He nodded, "we can man the Keep and start sending them out scouting and for a show of force."
"I'll go back to the pass is two days and see how they react to the blocked pass."
"What can they do?"
"Unless they have a mage, the only thing they can do is turn back." I looked around, "we need to hire some servants."
"We need to hire a whole servant staff for the whole keep."
"Tenant farmers and tradesmen too. Let's take the warhorses out for some exercise, I want to show you something."
He nodded, "they could use it."
✽✽✽
We rode north to the river ford, then east along the crag wall. We pulled up when we got to the exposed coal vein.
"Coal?" He asked. We dismounted.
"Yes, this whole area has exposed veins of it. It will be easy to mine."
"With this you won't have to worry about your holdings being profitable. You must hire workmen to dig it out. We can haul it to Port West Gate to be shipped out."
I said nothing about Black Stag Cove, I'd rather have all the major shipping go out of Port West Gate.
We rode the rest of the estate looking over the forest, and game. "Sir Edwin had a gem here. I wonder why he never lived here?"
"The King. He always said he needed him. So, he stayed in the capital."
"Well, thank you Sir Edwin."
"Amen," The Prince said.
✽✽✽
I was waiting at the blocked Northern Pass when the Hinterland Army arrived. The main body stopped short of the Pass. Their scout had reported that the pass was blocked. They set up a pavilion and were discussing options.
"So General, what have you to report?"
"My Prince, our scouts reported this pass open two weeks ago. However, we have reports
that there have been earthquakes in this area. Port West gate's harbor has been nearly closed off by crags raising from the sea. This must have resulted from that same event."
"So, we must go around. How? is there another pass?"
"No, your Highness. There are no other passes. We must backtrack and goes east around the crags."
"A two-week journey?"
"Yes, your Highness."
The Prince stood looking down at the map. "So, its two weeks back tracking before we clean these crags, then it's another four to six weeks before we reach Port West Gate. All the while we will use our limited supplies, with no place between here and there to replenish them. Now reports say their Port has been closed off because of this earthquake. Does that about cover it?"
"Yes, my Prince."
"The Fates have been busy?" He kept studying the map. "How long to reach their Northern Keep, Vigil?"
"The same amount of time. But the land there is much richer, for us to live off of."
"Send messages. We are being forced to backtrack. Have re-supply wagons meet us as we turn east. We will head to Vigil Keep instead of Port West Gate. Send the Navy to take Port West Gate. We rest here tonight and start back tomorrow. Inform the priests. General, stay behind a moment." Everyone bowed and left the pavilion.
The General waited. Once they were alone, "Vigil keep?" The Prince asked.
"It will be a challenge."
"That is why my father, the king, set me this task. This is a test to see if it will be me or my brother who rules Hinterland."
The General said nothing.
"Send messages to our spies at Vigil Keep. Have them set plans in motion for us."
"Yes, my Prince." bowing he left the pavilion.
I followed the general to the messenger bird wagon. He gave instruction to the message man, what messages he wanted sent and where.
When the general left I pulled the message man under. *Teach me.* His corpse crumpled. I now knew how to raise and care for messenger birds, more importantly I know the Hinterland message codes. I searched his wagon and got his code book and released all the messenger birds.
Now there would be no resupply wagons, and no enemy action against Vigil Keep until this army got closer to them anyway.
Once everyone had settled down for the night, I found their spare horse herd. After the midnight guard changed, I found three guards at a campfire on the outskirts of the main cavalry camp. I pulled all three under. *Improve me.* Their bodies turned to husks.
I rose and took the three horses the guards were using and rode out among the spare herd. My hand tingled, and they all started following me. Me and three-hundred horses walked away from the Hinterland army.
I told the ground not to show signs of us passing. I walked the herd down a side canyon and open the crag wall into the next valley. Once we were all through, I closed the wall behind us.
This was a beautiful land. If there had been no crags, this could have all been farmland. Right now, it was forest, open grazing land, with plenty of water. I stopped and unsaddled the three horses and turned them loose.
I sank into the earth taking the saddles with me. It seemed the more time I spent in the earth the more my powers grew. I concentrated and let my consciousness expand. I felt the crags, as they expanded all around me. I closed all the gaps and walled off my lands from the outside. Now no one could get in, there were no passes. I might replace some is later.
I sank the crags that divided my lands, opening up the plains. I left the last crag wall in place between this Valley and the one my Keep was in. I'd let my herds increase until I needed them.
I took the saddles and went back to Black Stag Keep.
Chapter fourteen
I left the saddles in the stables at the Keep, and fast-travelled to Port West Gate. I looked at the work that had done on the fort; they had started the store work, but they had also done a lot of timber work. They had built the black powder building, so I moved all the powder from the pier vault into it. I moved the cannons into the emplacements along with all their equipment and closed the pier vault. I fast-traveled back to my Keep.
At breakfast the next morning I told the Prince what I had learned.
"So, there were no messages sent, and therefore no resupply wagons."
"And no skullduggery at Vigil Keep, and no Navy being sent to Port West Gate."
He nodded, "we need to let the King know so he can send the Crown Prince and his army to Vigil instead of here. Then we need to improve Port West Gate's Fort and harbor defenses. We can't depend on their Navy to do anything."
"We also need to go to the slave market. We need craftsmen, farmers, and servants. We'll hire some and buy some. If you will write the King the letter, I'll take it to him."
✽✽✽
When I arrived to deliver the letter, the castle was in an uproar. The Keep's gates were closed, and guards were everywhere. Servants were running around at some task or other. I flew up through the walls to the Kings office. No one was there and the Royal quarters were empty too.
Shouting came from another room in the Royal wing. I found the King and Queen at the foot of a bed were a convulsing young woman lay. Her skin was turning blueish. The queen was shouting at, who I guess was a physician.
"Do something."
"My Queen I have tried all I know how to do this is beyond my learning."
My hand tingled, more like pulsed. There was magic at work here. Before I thought, I stepped through the wall at her bedside. Everyone jumped, the guards shouted and drew their swords.
"Hold!" the Kings command froze them in place.
The Queen came to my side," Help my daughter if you can Sir Ghost."
I nodded leaning down I placed my hand on her forehead. The convulsions stopped, and she quieted, breathing easier. The Queen went to her knees holding her daughter. Crying tears of relief.
There was something in this room that was the source of whatever was attacking the Princess.
I looked around the room, a maid was cringing, and shaking like a leaf.
I walked around the room looking at the items on shelves. There was a small castle, finely carved. To my eyes it wavered like something in the hot sun. When I picked it up the Princess relaxed and went to sleep. I walked over to the maid staring at her. No one said a word, but their eyes never left me.
The maid dropped to her knees. "You brought this to the Princess?"
She nodded weeping.
"But you didn't make it."
She shook her head.
"You know who did?"
She nodded.
I walked over to the fireplace and set the castle down. *Fire consume.* The little wooden castle was soon ashes.
"Hear me well," the King said, his voice dropping to a menacing whisper. "If anyone says one word about what they have seen here today, I will have all of you drawn and quartered. Then what’s left of your bodies will be fed to the pigs. Leave us."
They all bowed and left the room. The maid started to get up; I put my hand on her and shook my head, she dropped back to the floor. The King moved to the Queen's side. I moved back to look at the Princess. She looked like her brother Prince Kade, and her mother the Queen. Not beautiful but fetching.
I lay my hand upon her brow, the runes on my hand glowed gold and ran all the way to my elbow. With the outline of a gauntlet and grieves. The Princess took a deep breath and her eyes fluttered open. The Queen sat back on her heels her hand went to her mouth, tears ran down her face. The Princess looked at me, her deep brown eyes showed no fear only curiosity.
"How do you feel M'lady?"
"Fine, I had a headache, but it's gone now."
"Do you know where you are?"
"Yes, in my room, I just laid down for a nap."
"That was yesterday dear," the Queen said.
I removed my hand and stepped back.
"Yesterday? Mother why are you crying?"
"We thought you were dying, Sir Ghost saved you. He's a
friend of Kade's."
She looked at me with a twinkle of mischief in her eyes. "Did my brother name you, it sounds like something he would do."
I laughed, "It does, doesn't it? No, M'lady, my first name is Draugur, it means Ghost."
"Princess Maddison," The King said, "May I present Baron, Sir Draugur de Crypta, of Black Stag Keep."
I bowed, "Your Highness."
"Well met, Sir Draugur. Did my brother send you to help me?"
"No M'lady, we knew nothing of your plight. He sent me on another matter." I took out the letter and handed it to the King.
He opened it and read.
He glanced up at me, "So the rumors of an earthquake are true."
"Yes, Sire."
He continued reading. He looked at me, "Eight weeks then."
"Roughly, Sire. Depending on what they do about resupplying."
He nodded. "You will conclude this other matter quickly?"
I nodded, "I will, Sire."
"I will have a letter for you in the morning."
"Will you sup with us Sir Draugur?" The Princess asked.
"Yes, he will, we eat one hour after evening prayers." The Queen said.
I bowed, "Yes my Queen."
"Lacey," the King said.
"Yes, Sire." The maid answered.
"Go with Sir Draugur."
"Yes, Sire."
I led Lacey from the room and out of the castle. Once we got to the courtyard I stopped.
"Tell me who gave you the castle for the Princess."
"I can't speak her name, I'll die." I smiled.
"Then take me to her." she nodded.
Lacey led me out the castle gates and toward lower city. Just before we crossed over the river bridge, she turned off the main street.
We walked on a ways then she stopped. She was nervous. "One block on is a cross street. There is an apothecary on the west corner, that's her shop. She's the only one that runs the shop, there's no mistaking her." I nodded looking down the street. "Are you going to kill me?"
I hooked at her. "Only if you speak of this, as the King said."
She shook her head. "Return to the castle and go about your duties."
Hand Made Mage Page 12
