The Unwilling Accomplice (Book 5)

by Heidi Willard

  High walls of stone surrounded the area on the opposite side of the moat and the city itself was terraced like Tramadore, but with green grass and trees in more abundance than the houses. The terraces were fifty yards wide and encircled the large hill upon which sat a white-stone castle. The majority of the terraces led like steps upward, but there were pockets where a terrace was lower than its predecessor. Streams separated parts of the terraces and there were countless bridges over them. To the right of the group and in the far back was the blue sea and a large port nestled in a sheltered cove with large sailing ships anchored off the shore and bringing in small loads of cargo. Other, smaller ships disappeared behind the city to anchor at the piers.

  The moat was crossed by a drawbridge of hewn wood that was wide enough for eight horsemen abreast to trod upon. At the opposite side was the curved arch of the gatehouse, and a pair of elves stood on either side of the entranceway watching them. Fred tilted his head back to look at the shining castle atop the hill, and a glistening of blue light in front of the hill caught his attention. It was the flicker of a magical barrier like the one that had protected the stone of String, except the barrier was much larger. He glanced from side-to-side to find an end, but the barrier wrapped around the entire city. It started in the center of the moat at the deepest depths of the waters to rise upward as a dome over the tall hill.

  The princess slowed to a trot and led her guests over the lowered bridge. The clomp of their horses' hooves was interrupted by a sudden cry from Ned who rode behind her. He pulled his horse back and clutched at his chest with one hand. There was a pained expression on his wizened face and he grit his teeth. Ruth and Pat stepped up beside him and the gentle gargoyle held onto his shoulders to keep him from falling off his horse. Fred noticed that they had reached the barrier around the city, and before Ned its light shimmered like an arisen wave angered by a sudden burst of wind.

  Telana reined in her horse and the two guards hurried forward. "What's wrong?" she asked them.

  "It seems my magic is too powerful to pass the barrier," Ned replied through clenched teeth.

  Telana frowned. "The barrier is meant to protect against disguises and the dangers of Canavar. A castor of your power should be able to pass through," she countered. Percy pursed his lips together and clutched at a saddle bag that lay close to his hip.

  "Perhaps the barrier needs some adjustment. Be that as it may, I cannot pass," Ned told her.

  "And Ruth can't get through, either, not with her, er, condition. She'd get mighty heavy if she passed through there," Canto spoke up.

  The guards reached the group, but remained on the other side of the barrier. They recognized their princess, and respectfully bowed. "Is there a problem, Princess?" one of the guards called to her.

  "Yes. We need you to raise the barrier across the bridge," she commanded them.

  The pair of guards bowed. "As you wish, Princess," the guard replied. The guards moved to either side of the barrier and clapped the bottoms of their staffs on the bridge boards. The barrier parted like two gates opening, and was wide and tall enough through which the company could pass.

  CHAPTER 3

  Telana led the companions onward past the arched gate and into the green city. A rounded courtyard stood on the other side of the gate and in front of them was a wide stone stairway that led to the next terrace. On the left side against the stone walls was a large, low building with small square windows and the scent of horse manure floating from its interior. In the center of the building was a pair of large barn doors which were opened to reveal glimpses of roomy stalls and the neighing of horses.

  Beyond the low building and also to their far right were several smaller stone paths, too small for horse and rider, that led into the myriad of streets. The homes and businesses were square with rounded sides and made of colored stone. They had several floors with arched windows and planters outside those windows filled with a variety of brilliant flowers. There were more planters outside the thick wooden doors of the buildings, so many that there seemed to be a carpet of pansies, geraniums, and the like. Thin willow trees grew from the cobble stones beneath their feet and cradled the roofs in their branches. The visitor was left with the feeling that they had left the gloomy forest and entered paradise.

  The residents of the paradise strode to and fro across the courtyard and up the stairs to the higher levels. Around the courtyard were booths and stalls showing off shining wares such as many-colored bowls and scarfs that were sewn with such deft that they appeared to wrap themselves around the necks of those who tried them on. Mothers walked with their children in tow, and laughing and chattering was the norm. Carts were driven in and out of a cave entrance on their right, each way laden with different goods. Some of the carts stopped at the stalls, but most clattered across the bridge and onto the roads to travel northward or southward.

  Fred's eyes widened when he beheld the shopping elves gesture with their hands and raise fruit from the stalls to slip into their baskets or bags. The seller elves did the same to the boxes heavy with their goods, lifting them off the ground and stacking them neatly on their carts on on their tables. The floating objects were surrounded by the same glowing light as they had seen come from Telana's hands.

  Ned sidled up to him and chuckled. "Did you think humans were the only ones capable of magic?" he teased.

  "But they don't need a staff?" he guessed.

  "No, our magic comes from within ourselves while the castor magic is a gift from nature and thus needs a focus. That focus is the staff," Telana spoke up. The princess dismounted and the others did the same. She nodded toward the low building. "Those are the stables. Your steeds may be housed there at my father's expense," she offered.

  Ned bowed his head. "That is very kind of you, and our small purse will accept your hospitality," he replied.

  Telana led them to the stables and an elf who stood by the open doors hurried forward to greet them. He bowed his head to Telana. "Good morning, Princess," he greeted her.

  "Good morning. I wish for you to put up these fines steeds for a short while," she requested, gesturing to all their animals.

  "Very good, but-" He paused and glanced through them at Fluffy, who wagged his nub of a tail and drooled. "If we knew one would be coming we would have made room, but I am afraid our largest stalls, those best fitted for a cantankus, are taken," he informed them.

  "Perhaps he may be made comfortable on the balcony near the castle?" Ned spoke up.

  Telana looked over Fluffy. "Is he well-trained?" she asked him.

  "As well-trained as can be expected," Ned admitted.

  Telana sighed, but gave a nod. "Very well, he may stay at the balcony, but only the balcony," she agreed.

  "Then we will gladly care for the horses and ass," the stable elf agreed. He clapped his hands and a half dozen other elves hurried out the doors and took the reins.

  Telana handed the reins of her own horse over to the stable elf and turned to the others with the Chronos box clasped tightly in her arms. "I would show you my beautiful city, but you must excuse me. I must see if the falconer at the Feona Library can heal Anduvis," she told them.

  Ned smiled and bowed his head toward her. "We will not detain you."

  "Then I will see you at the castle and warn them of your coming. My father will be most pleased to see you again, Edwin."

  Telana hurried up the steps, but on the fifth one she tripped and fell forward. She caught herself before she, and the Chronos Box, crashed onto the white stone steps. The companions jumped forward to help, but Ned held out his staff and blocked their path. Telana quickly righted herself and, brushing off questions of health from other elves going up and down the steps, scurried to the upper terrace. The many trees, crowds, and houses soon hid her from their view.

  "Are all elves as clumsy as her?" Pat wondered.

  Ned smiled and shook his head. "No. The doctors in the Library believe she needs spectacles to see objects close to her, but the princ
ess is a very stubborn woman. She will hear nothing of it, and would rather bruise herself than blemish her face, as she says."

  "Is that why she didn't recognize you at the first?" Pat asked him.

  "Yes, and possibly why she didn't notice us until it was too late," he added.

  "She called you Edwin Tisule. Does Tisule also have a meaning?" Ruth wondered.

  Ned straightened and coughed. "Nothing of importance, but seeing as we are in Crutchen shall we not have a look around? There are no gardens to compare to those grown on these terraces," he told them.

  "I second that motion," Percy spoke up.

  Ruth glanced overhead at a flock of beautiful white doves. "I, too, would like to see this place," she agreed.

  "Then you shall see it," Ned replied.

  Ned led them up the white-stone stairs to the terraces above them. The paths along the terraces were created from stones tightly wedged together that followed a winding route from one set of stairs to the other, and around the entire circular terrace. Each terrace held several blocks of buildings with small patches of trees and grass between the structures and the stone path. The stone pathways meandered when they left the main path branch and dipped into small nooks beside the road. Those paths encircled small patches of comfort in the form of stone benches and shade trees. Occasionally a gurgling fountain was found along the road, meant for refreshment for those making the long climb to the top.

  The houses and shops were separated by small alleys, and vines sprouted from the cobblestones and climbed trellises placed along the walls. There were narrow steps between the houses that led down to small gardens that lay below the terrace level. Some had streams diverted from the canals that flowed across the small gardens and were spilled into a lower canal. There were other small, narrow green paths that wound their way out of sight among the buildings and the effect was a blooming maze of flowers, luscious grass, and paths that led a curious traveler into the depths of a city that was as wild and untamed as the forest that surrounded its front.

  The inhabitants of the city were mostly tall, slim elves. They wore brightly-colored clothes that hung in folds on their bodies, and walked to and fro with a confident, almost haughty step. The women wore dresses with hems that dragged the clean stones and short sleeves that showed off their shapely arms. The men were attired in shirts embroidered with emblems of nature such as fire and water, and their pants were slightly tightened to show off their leg muscles. The hairstyles for women were long braids, and the men were clean-shaven.

  Occasionally the companions spotted a dwarf or human, but for the most part the elves walked the streets on errands and visitations. Except for the occasional glance the elves ignored the strange company, and they climbed the stairs unmolested. Several of the terraces were split in two by a canal that circled the hill and provided water to the terraces above and below it. The stone pathway changed to a bridge and the companions crossed over several of these on their way upward.

  They reached a terrace halfway up the mountain and heard the unmistakable clang of steel. The path was as open as a courtyard, and on the left side stood a railing beyond which there were no buildings. Canto walked over to the railing and peeked through the rungs onto a depression in the terrace. It was thirty yards wide, fifty yards long twenty feet deep, and followed the curve of the hill. The bottom was covered in a thick carpet of grass, and was accessed via a narrow flight of stairs to his left.

  The other companions followed Canto and peered over the edge. A dozen pairs of male elves faced each other with thin, long-bladed swords in hand. They wore fine suits and one or two had on a jacket. Another elf stood in the center and looked over each of the pairs. He raised his hand, paused, and flung it down. The swordsmen jumped into combat and didn't finish until one of the fighters was struck by the other. Then the combatants saluted each other and retired to the far side where lay a pile of coats and some jackets.

  "Are they guards for the city?" Percy wondered.

  "What you just witnessed was a fight of honor, for these are the Dueling Grounds," Ned explained.

  Canto watched the elves robe themselves in coat and jacket and scoffed. "In a real fight they wouldn't be fearing getting their clothes a little dirty," he argued.

  "Blood isn't good for grass, but let's go on. We have quite a few more stairs to climb," Ned advised.

  The companions climbed the remaining flights of stairs and reached the flat top of the hill. The final step opened to a circular courtyard ringed on the right side by stone archways that jutted out like a giant balcony. Short stone walls sat between the arches, and a visitor could look over the walls and view the sea that lay behind the castle. The left side of the courtyard held a green garden filled with flowers and trees so thick they blocked the view of the edge of the terrace thirty yards off. The castle itself stood at the rear of the courtyard, a magnificent structure of white stone partially hewn from the rock beneath their feet. A pair of large wooden doors fifteen feet tall made up the entrance, and four guards in elegant regalia stood guard.

  Fred glanced behind them and viewed the vast, thick forest that surrounded the moat and city. The moat curved its way around the front of the city in a semi-circle, and its two ends opened to the sea behind the castle where it was provided with an endless supply of water. He led Fluffy over to the arches on his right and leaned over them to glimpse the sea. The rear side of the hill was a steep cliff of white stone that stopped seventy yards above the water line. Then it curved inward to create a large, enclosed cove, and surrounding the open side of the cove was a wooden wall twenty yards high with a pair of gates that opened to the sea. The large ships were anchored outside the wall, and the smaller ones sailed between the gates to the city's port inside the cove. Fluffy whimpered at the great height, as the cove sat a thousand feet below them, and backed up.

  Ned joined them at the walls and glanced out at the sea. "I have never seen a better view of the sea than what I glimpse from these arches," he commented.

  "Yeah, it's great," Fred half-heartedly agreed. His attention was on a small ship of two sails that disappeared beneath the lip of the cove. He felt a strange sensation inside of him at the sight of the ship.

  Ned looked at his apprentice and gently grabbed his shoulder. "What is the matter?" he asked Fred.

  Fred shook himself and turned away from the entrancing water. "Nothing, it's nothing," he replied.

  The gates to the castle creaked open and a servant in tight, tall socks and a ruffled blouse emerged. The elf came up to them and bowed to them.

  "I have been ordered to take you to your rooms," he told them.

  CHAPTER 4

  The group was led through the doors and into the grand entrance hall. It was lofty, and both wide and deep so that the space made a visitor feel welcomed, but with an elegance that bordered between gaudy and opulent. The walls were made from the same white stone as the exterior of the castle but they were thickly covered in tapestries that were so plentiful some of them overlapped others. The large staircase in front of them broke off into left and right flights, and then performed a complete loop before reaching the balconies on the second floor. On the ground floor on either side of the staircase were two long halls that traveled deeper into the castle. To the left on the ground floor was a stone wall with several wide, wooden doors, and the right side was a mirror of the left. The floors were shined to near-homicidal cleanliness and the pairs of wooden doors on either side of the hall were carved with so many scenes that the groups of hunters were chased by their own prey.

  The staff of the elven palace wore the brightly-colored clothes of their city kin, but with as much embellishment as the elf who led the group. Their sleeves were extra puffy, their pants extra baggy, and their ears extra pointy. It would have been comical if the servants weren't so stoic. To laugh at them was, as many in the group suspected, to insult them, and the companions had already witnessed the results of an insult at the Dueling Grounds.

  Their guide g
uided them up the winding staircase to the right wing of the second floor. At the landing one could travel along the balcony leftward to the interior of the castle or right to the front of the building. The balcony was ten feet wide and dotted with doors on the opposite wall from where they stood. The elf turned to them, and gestured to the seven doors on his left and right. "These will be your accommodations while you reside here. If you wish to change rooms that can be arranged, but the ones that remain will not have as superior a view of the sea these ones," he told them.

  "I'm sure they will be fine," Ned replied.

  "Will there be anything else?" the elf asked the group.

  "Not at the moment, but we thank you," Ned answered.

  The elf bowed at the waist. "Very well. I will have the maids call for you when supper is ready." The elf servant strode past them and out of sight.

  Ned glanced among the doors and opened one near the far right end of the balcony. It was a large, square room with a fireplace at the rear and a large four-post bed close beside the hearth. There were vases arranged along the top of the hearth and the walls were as covered with tapestry as the hall. The floor was carpeted with thick, expensive rugs and the silk curtains around the bed all bespoke extravagance.

  Ned chuckled and turned to the group. "It seems no expense has been spared to make our stay comfortable," he commented.

  "Ah don't like it," Canto grumbled.

  "You may always stay with Fluffy in the courtyard," Ned suggested. Canto scowled and turned his head away, but didn't object any further. "Now if you would each like to take a room we may rest our weary bodies."

  The companions each took a room with Fred picking up the compartment at the very front of the castle. His room was as richly furnished as Ned's and it was provided with two windows. One looked out on the sea, and the other faced the city. He stepped over to the crackling fire in the hearth and glanced up at the vase collection on top of the mantel. They appeared to be old, fragile, and valuable, and showed scenes of dueling, banqueting, and a procession of elves with puffy clothes.