"One tries Sire, in my youth I could have done better."
"I suppose that's true of all of us, hey Provost." They laughed, I held my face straight… With difficulty.
Once we had seen the lower area and the cannon emplacement, we dismissed the Provost. We moved up into the upper areas and the Castle proper.
"Better than I could have hoped for, well done my friend."
"It's your Castle Sire, The Seat of the Western District."
"Thank you, it is beautiful."
"I added a few things. Royal apartments for the King and Queen when they come. Plenty of room for visiting Royals, when they come. So you won't have to give up your rooms. Although Princess Maddison will be upset, your balcony is bigger than hers." We laughed. "At sundown torches light by themselves."
We went up to the Royal Garden and looked out over the harbor and ocean. "Brother are they going to be surprised." Torches burned at the harbor entrance showing the chain stretched across the opening.
"At dawn the chain will lower and at dusk it will raise. Unless someone operates the wheels."
"Wondrous. I hope my sister marries you, we can't afford to pay you." He said laughing. "Speaking of pay." He tossed me a gold. I caught it. "Paid," he said.
I laughed, walking over to the fireplace and pushed the gold coin into the mantle face.
"Paid," I said.
✽✽✽
We rose early and went to the Inn for breakfast. The talk, little though it was, was about the castle and the crazy old mage. How their Prince made him put things proper. We just smiled.
The Provost came in and the Prince asked him to join us. As we ate, we talked.
"Provost, I have a task for you."
"Yes, Sire?"
"I want you to hire the walking wounded from the mercenary companies, to guard our castle. Especially those with experience with cannons. You may quarter them in the Castle barracks. The Castle proper is sealed so there is no need to worry about that."
"Yes Sire, I shall see to it."
I sat a large purse of gold on the table, "Pay them the going rate plus food and shelter."
"Yes, Sire."
"Keep a close watch on ships coming in, we expect Hinterlanders to make more incursions."
"We will Sire, and if I need more troops?"
"Hire them, I leave that to your discretion. Take what funds you need from the city; I will replace it. Also increase the city watch, I expect the city to grow with our new protected port. Do not scrimp on equipment, better to lose a little money than lose a life."
"That is a subject I needed to talk to you and the Earl about. There is no City Fund, Sire."
"I see my predecessor was remiss, Sire." I took out a wallet and passed it to the Provost.
"Thank you, Provost for bringing this to our attention. I'm sure you have someone who keeps accurate accounts?" I asked.
"We do M'lord."
"Also, if there are inquiries about renting the warehouses, you may rent them, except the large one on the far end. That is for the Williamson's trading house who will arrive within the month. Put the monies in the city fund. You now have the additional duty as the City's Treasurer. With your promotion you may move into the former Baronet's house and use it as your own." I said.
"Thank you M'lord."
"Any other business Provost?"
"No Sire, it will be as you say."
"Good, now we must be on our way Provost, good day to you."
"And to you, Sire, M'lord."
✽✽✽
We rode past the Slave Masters wagons. Further on past our new horses, on the way to be delivered.
"Do we have enough horses for all of our support wagons and for everyone to be mounted?" The Prince asked.
"With the eighty we bought I think we have enough. We'll do a head count tomorrow when we do a full inspection." He nodded.
"Tell me about the Princess, what's she like?"
"Oh, nasty temper that one, you saw the hunched back, yes?"
I laughed, "Oh, here we go."
He laughed, "In truth, she's probably the smartest of us. Mother made her train as hard as any of the boys, and then some. She has a mind for business and is already running the Royal Houses' affairs. Under Mother's scrutiny."
"She has a sweet, kind soul, unless you cross her. If you do that, you will see her temper. She has a mind of her own and it's a sharp one. She is not one who will be set on a shelf and ignored. If you win her hand, you will gain a prize, that few can equal. I hope to find one such as her someday."
I shook my head, "I'm not sure I can overlook the hunched back though." We laughed and enjoyed the ride into Black Stag Keep.
✽✽✽
When the slaves arrived, we took them into the mess hall and fed them. Once they had eaten, I spoke to them. "I am Earl de Crypta, this is my Keep, Black Stag Keep. You will not be chained or caged here, because there is nowhere for you to run. The gate you came through at the pass is the only way in or out. My whole valley is enclosed by crag cliffs. Serve me well, and you will be treated well. If you are more trouble than you are worth, I will send you back to the pins to be resold. Tonight, those serving in the Keep will go into the Keep. We will take the farmers to their farms on the morrow. We will show tradesmen where they will stay on the morrow also."
"You will eat after the soldiers eat. You will not eat scraps we all eat the same food here. I pointed to the major-domo, move your people into the Keep Hall. Everyone else will be in the stable loft tonight. Go." Everyone started toward their places. I went to the Keep's hall.
When the major-domo and his people were all gathered, "on the morrow you will not prepare food, you will eat in the mess hall like everyone else. After that you will start putting the Keep to right. You will find supplies through there." I pointed. "Anything we don't have, and you need, we'll get. Your rooms are down the same hall as the supplies. That is all for tonight, get some sleep." They all bowed, "Yes M'lord." I left the hall, and they moved down the hall to find their rooms.
I had a lot still to do before I slept. I dropped into the earth and moved out into the valley. I imagined my valley like a chessboard with each square being forty acres. I removed all stones from the fields and raised a stone fence four feet high around each farm.
I raised a stone three-room house with a loft. They also got a four-stall barn with a hayloft, and stone corral. I placed a water well between the house and the barn. I repeated these ten times.
As an afterthought I closed the wall between my cove and my Keep. We were leaving soon, and I didn't want any surprises. I went to sleep cradled in the arms of the earth recovering my strength.
✽✽✽
Everyone seemed to be up before dawn. The mercenary companies were getting ready for their pre-move-out inspection. I would just be in the way, so I let Master Sergeant Miller take care of company business.
"Master Sergeant?"
"Sir?"
"Will there be someone who can serve as quartermaster staying behind?"
"Yes Sir, Sergeant Pickens, I'll send him to you."
"Thank you, Master Sergeant."
Sergeant Pickens found me, I gave instructions on supplies I wanted bought for the farmers, including livestock. I gave him a purse to cover expenses.
I let the five Knights look to their own. It was their responsibility to do so. If they did not, I wanted to know about it now.
After everyone had eaten, we loaded the farmers into wagons and took them out to their farms. When we stopped at the first one everyone just stared.
A child asked, "Truly M'lord?" His mother shushed him.
"Truly what Lad?" I asked.
"This is the farm we are to work and the house we get to live in?"
I smiled, "truly, this is the farm, or one like it, you and your family will work and live on." They could not believe this was the farm, house, and barn where they would live and work. It was all too nice for them to believe.
"Everyone, let's
look, it will save time." They all unloaded. "All the farms, houses, and barns are the same. Tools, seed and livestock will be provided. But you have to work it. Everyone will get a milk cow, chickens, maybe sheep, goat, or pigs. You will feed your family and my family and the soldiers. There is no need to hide food, to feed your families. If you are not healthy, you don't work and produce. It is in all of our interests that you are fed and healthy. Now go walk through the house and barn. Then we'll get everyone on to a farm." It didn't take long; everyone was excited to get to their farms.
By noon we had all the farmers installed on their farms. I told them more things would be delivered so they could start work. We gave families supplies to live on until they could start raising their own. I figured it would take most of a year before they could support themselves.
I rode back to the Keep and checked in with Master Sergeant Miller. "How do we look?"
"Not bad Sir, few things need fixin' but we're working them out."
"Do we have enough horses?"
"Barely Sir, I'd feel better if we had spares."
"How many do we need?"
"forty, fifty would be better."
"I'll bring you fifty. If we need, we can make a last supply run to Port West Gate."
"No sir, the horses are what we need."
I rode back to the stables and put Mare away. I got a saddle and tack and dropped into the earth. I flew under to my "found" horses. They came to me; I separated fifty geldings and sent the rest back to grazing.
I saddled one and headed back to the Keep. Opening and closing passes as I needed. I was back to the Keep by mid-afternoon. I delivered them to the spare horses holding area. Master Sergeant was shaking his head.
"You know sir, they hang horse thieves."
"I've heard that, awful narrow minded of them. But it's not stealing if you steal them from the enemy. I happened to have found these poor beasts lost in the wilderness."
"You sound like my first recruiter. Promised me the world, he did."
"I just hate to see you doing without Master Sergeant."
"That is the same thing he said." He shook his head walking away yelling orders. The man loved his job.
They had checked and double checked, loaded and reloaded. Finally, everyone was satisfied, and they stood down for a day's rest. We would leave day after tomorrow.
Tomorrow everyone would rest, but also doing last-minute repairs on their personal equipment
Chapter eighteen
Our major-domo was getting our house in order. Beds being made, clothes washed, windows opened places swept. I never noticed them until someone cleaned, then it was noticeable.
Over dinner with the Prince, "Beast has heavy armor, right?" I asked.
"He does."
"I'd like to see it, I have an idea that I can strengthen it, and make it lighter."
"That would be a godsend."
We finished eating and went to the stables. We laid out all of Beasts heavy, armor. "No wonder they tire so quickly all this weighs a ton."
"Plus my weight in my armor."
"Is all of this necessary?"
"Some is ornamental, but all of it helps protect him, yes."
"Ok, lets lay all of it in the floor."
Once I had it all in a pile, I knelt on it. "I'll be back." With that I sank into the earth. I flew with the armor over to a place in the earth that held a lot of metals and minerals. I concentrated on the Princes’ armor, changed it, then on to my armor. I held that thought in my mind. How strong they would be, and how lightweight they would be. The runes on my hands and arms began to glow. The armor ring on my finger became warm. My strength and stamina ring become warm. My quick reflexes ring became warm.
My hand began to pulsate and draw metals and minerals from the surrounding earth. I held onto the image of what I wanted. Minutes passed until the pulsating stopped. Under my hand lay a set of heavy horse armor that matched the Prince's armor. I flew under back to the stable, no one but the Prince was there.
I emerged up from the ground with Beast's new armor. We picked it up and began to examine it. It now weight half of what it used to. Runes were on the undersides of it and it had the same dragon scale design as ours.
"Lord above." The Prince said.
We put it on Beast, all black and the head face and neck pieces looked like a dragon's head, face, and neck. Beast seemed to like it and stood taller.
"Magnificent. You need to make a set for your mare warhorse."
"And a Light set for Mare."
We gathered The Queen of battle's heavy armor, mare's light armor and piled all of it in the floor. I took the heavy armor first. It turned out like Beast's armor had, same basic design. Same rings getting warm. And the same dragon motif.
We dressed Queen in her new armor she liked it. It too weighed half as much as her old set. She looked fearsome. She was the same height as beast, but not as heavy. The heavy shield that hung on her saddle now had a dragon scale, Rampant Black Stag upon it. We took their armor off of them and put it away for the night. We'd dress them again on the morrow and let them move around in it.
I took Mare's light armor and went back to the metal and mineral spot. I did the same thing for her armor. My armor ring became warm, my strength and stamina ring become warm. My quick reflexes ring became warm. This time my guise ring became warm. I knew this set would be different.
I went back to the stable. Mare's armor was different. It had the same black dragon scale motif, but this one was a deep shimmering non-reflective blue black. Instead of the dragon head and neck, hers had the imprints of stag's horns. Nothing stuck out to get caught on, just the imprint of them. Her vital areas were fully covered, but it weighed no more than leather armor would have.
We dressed her in her new armor. Although the armor was wondrous nothing drew your attention to it. She shook her head, and stomped he feet, then settled down. At the rider's left knee was a quiver and bow scabbard. The quiver looked odd; I'd check it later. The small shield that hung on her had the same Rampant Black Stag. I mounted her. Everything looked and felt good. I was still curious about the guise ring's part.
"What did you do?" The Prince asked.
"Nothing, why? What happened?"
"Mare changed to look like a black stag. Actually, two black stags. One with you riding, and one with no rider."
I thought of a black stag by itself. "What do you see?"
"A black stag, no rider."
I thought of me riding a black stag. "And now?"
"You are riding a black stag."
I laughed, "That will come in handy."
"You sitting there on her, unmoving, you almost fade onto the background shadows and darkness."
"With this new armor, she'll make a better scout." We got her undressed and put her armor away. She'd get more practice on the morrow.
✽✽✽
We were all up early, getting started on the day. I heard the Knights grumbling about not being fed better food at the high table. Since the Prince was eating the same fare, they kept it to themselves.
After I had eaten, I walked through the company area. Everyone was working on their personal equipment. My hand tingled as I passed one troop. I stopped and looked. It highlighted a place on his sword to my eyes.
"Let me see your sword trooper."
"Yes Captain," he said handing it to me. The Master Sergeant came over to see if he missed anything.
"There is a fault in the steel." I hit it against the wagon and it broke. His mouth hung open. "That would have been bad."
"It would, sir."
"Let's get another one."
"Yes, sir."
They got another one from the supply wagon and brought it to me. I looked at it. The steel was ok for what it was. I took it, nodding my head, I ran my hand down It. A rune on my hand glowed. The sword changed into a finely crafted sword, that was razor sharp, and weighed half as much as the old one.
Everyone stared at me and the sword. I had
to say something, "Sorry for breaking your’s trooper."
"Yes sir, Thank you, sir."
The trooper next to him said, "can you break mine too, Captain?" Everyone laughed. I smiled, taking his sword and did he same to his. That started a line forming.
By noon I had touched, and changed over two thousand swords, knives, daggers, lances, spears, bows and arrows. Including the five knights and their men-at-arms.
I had not planned on doing anything like this, but the cat was out of the bag now. They assumed I was a mage. "I guess I kind of am, just not a naturally born one. If it saves the life of one of my people, it will be worth it." "Master Sergeant?"
"Sir?"
"Form up the Company with shields."
"Yes, sir. Fall in, Company formation, with shields!" The troopers fell in formation. "Open ranks, March." The company ranks opened so I could walk down the ranks of men.
I walked the ranks touching each shield. The same thing happened as with the swords. They became lighter and stronger. They also all turned black with a raised Rampant Black Stag on the face.
I was finishing the last rank of my men, when I noticed that the other two companies had formed up. On the other side of them, the five Knights and their men-at-arms formed.
I heard the command of "Open ranks" being given.
I moved to the next company and came front to their captain. "What sigil would you have on your shields?" He looked left and right. He knew everyone was listening.
"The Black Stag M'lord."
"Ah-ooh! Ah-ooh! Ah-ooh!" Came the shout from his company behind him. They seemed to approve at his choice. I touched the Captain's shield, and it changed to match the Black Stag's Company shields. I could have changed them all at once, but sometimes pomp and circumstance are needed. The next company followed suit.
When I approached the Knights, I remembered the Princes charge that they regain their honor on the battlefield. Each Knight stood beside his warhorse. Knight and horse in full armor, with their men-at-arms behind them.
"Sir Knights, The Prince charged you to regain your honor on the field of battle. I know you will do just that. So that all may see your honor, you will wear your house sigil on your shields and armor as you go into battle."
Hand Made Mage Page 15
