The Unwilling Accomplice (Book 5)

by Heidi Willard

  There came a knock on the door and Fred jumped. He swung around and his arm knocked into the row of vases. They flew across the mantel and crashed onto a rug close at hand. There was another knock.

  "Is everything well in there?" an unfamiliar female voice called to him.

  "Um, yes, one moment," Fred replied. He quickly tucked the remains of the vases under the rug and hurried over to the door. Fred opened it to find a half dozen female elves standing before the doorway.

  She smiled at him and curtsied with her baggy dress. "Good afternoon, good sir. We have come to help with your clothes for this evening."

  "Clothes? What clothes?" he asked her.

  "Why, for the banquet, good sir. The princess has asked that you attend, and the king has invited many of the nobility in the city. We are here to get your measurements and see if we have any clothes near your size," she explained.

  "I'm fine with the clothes I have on," he argued.

  "If you do not think me impertinent, good sir, but those clothes are not fit to be worn at the banquet," the elf maiden protested. "We will attire you properly so no offense is given to the nobles."

  "It's fine enough for me, but maybe you can see if Ned wants a new suit," Fred suggested.

  Fred tried to close the door, but the elf maiden put her shoulder into it, and stuck her foot in the doorway to keep it from closing. Her kind demeanor changed to a deep scowl and she glanced over her shoulder at the other maidens. "Quickly, girls!" she ordered them. The other five put their shoulders into it, it being the door, and pushed it open. Fred was tossed into a sea of elven maiden as they swept over him in a wave of groping, clinging hands. One of them shut the door behind them with an ominous thump.

  "Get off! Get off me!" he yelped. He batted away their arms and stumbled backward. His feet hit the broken pottery under the rug, and he crashed into the bed that lay beside the fireplace and rug.

  "Please, good sir, if you would stop struggling this would be over in a minute," the lead elf maiden ordered him. "We must ensure that all goes well with the banquet and no offense is taken with your attire!"

  "Would you kindly remove your over-eager hands from my apprentice?" a voice spoke up. The women turned, and through them Fred could see Ned standing beside the closed door. He had a smile beneath his beard and a twinkle in his eyes. "I am sure you mean well, my ladies, but I know a dwarf who would appreciate your attentions more than my young friend here," he commented.

  "Apprentice?" the elven woman repeated. "Then he is-?"

  "A castor, yes," Ned finished for her.

  The elven woman quickly released Fred and stepped away from him. Their leader bowed to Ned. "We are very sorry, Edwin. We were not informed you had an apprentice."

  "A mere slip on my part, but I heard the shouts and came to remedy the situation. I hadn't realized the clothing would begin so soon," Ned replied as he stepped to the side to allow them to exit. "I have warned the others of your coming when I heard the shouts, and they are ready for you," he added.

  "Very good, Sir Edwin," the elven lady replied. She led the other elven women from the room.

  Ned turned his attention to Fred who sat at the foot of the bed. "You seem to be popular with the elven ladies," he teased.

  Fred sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I wish I wasn't," he murmured.

  "You mustn't blame them for their-ahem, enthusiasm. As I said, any slight offense may lead to swords at dawn, and that's rather an annoying time to be fighting," Ned reminded him.

  "What does my being a castor mean about my clothes?" Fred wondered.

  "Sometimes it's good to be a castor. We receive a few perks every now and again, and one of the perks is not to have to wear the clothing of the elves, even during their dinners," Ned explained.

  "And our companions?" Fred asked him.

  Ned chuckled. "Well, the others have been warned to bravely face their destiny. It Is a great honor to attend one of the dinners," he replied. Ned seated himself beside Fred and clapped a hand on the young man's shoulder. A dust cloud rose from the cloth and Ned coughed. "Though it seems you are in need of some cleaning," he added.

  Fred glanced down at himself. The magical outfit was still intact because of its self-sewing ability, but there was no self-cleaning ability. "How do we clean these things?" he wondered.

  "The most pleasurable way is to take a dip in one of the fresh pools in the city, but the easiest way is this." Ned stood and clapped the bottom of his staff on the ground. A wave of water shot from the top and doused Fred. The young man cried out and jumped to his feet as soaked as a freshly-caught fish.

  Fred brushed aside his damp, limp hair from his eyes and glared at Ned. "I would have preferred the more pleasurable way," he commented.

  "The deed is done, but it can be undone." Ned swung his staff across his body and a wind blew from the wood. Fred was knocked back onto the bed, but the wind dried his clothes.

  Fred sat up and glared at his master. "Couldn't you have warned me?" he growled.

  "Yes," was Ned's reply.

  Fred rolled his eyes, but paused and grimaced when he felt a strange tug inside him. The sensation was similar to the pull of a stretched muscle, but deeper. He couldn't quite place the point, but he set his hand on his chest and frowned.

  Ned noticed. "Something the matter?" he asked his apprentice.

  Fred shook his head. The feeling had passed. "Just tired, I think," he replied.

  "Then I will leave you to rest until the banquet," Ned offered.

  Ned left Fred to his resting, and Fred lay down for a short nap. Fred underestimated the comfortable beds of the elves. The afternoon hours slipped by and he was awoken by a persistent hand on his shoulder rocking him. He waved it off and received a rap on his knuckles from the end of a hard stick. Fred yelped and his eyes snapped open. He saw his master standing beside the bed with that twinkle in his eyes.

  "Is this the thanks I receive for awakening you?" Ned commented. Fred sat up, rubbed his wounded hand and glanced at the window in his room. Through the paned glass he saw the day was slipping into night as the sun slipped behind the horizon. "The banquet will begin in half an hour. The others will meet us down there," Ned informed him.

  CHAPTER 5

  Fred stood and let Ned lead him downstairs to the entrance hall. The quiet castle was now alive with flickering torches and servants. The elves hurried to and fro across the entrance hall with their arms full of platters of food and more plates floating around them in the blue light of the elven magic. They juggled jugs of wine and water, and balanced bowls filled with steaming meats and cool vegetables and fruits. The food line led from the left-hand passage behind the stairs to the open front doors in the eastern wing. Laughter and merriment erupted from the pairs of doors.

  Ned led Fred through the doors and into a brightly lit feasting hall. Rather than the filthy decor of the dwarf hall, this feasting room was scrubbed and swept. Any dropped food was immediately picked up by servants, not cantankus, and no dishes were thrown or loud demands made by the many elves who feasted. The layout of the tables mimicked the city with platforms built one on top of the other for five stages until it reached the top. The tables stretched out the full length of the platforms and stairs allowed the servers and diners easy access to the seats.

  A large, golden throne sat in the center of the the top platform, and a tall male elf in elegant, poofy attire with a crown of sparkling jewels on his head was seated in the seat of authority. He appeared to be forty years old, but Fred knew enough about elves to know appearances were deceiving. They had great life-spans that far exceeded any of the other races.

  On either side of the throne were empty tables, though plates and goblets were set before the dozen seats. Ned climbed the steps and when he reached the top platform the crowned elf turned to them and smiled. The king of the elves stood and welcomed Ned with open arms. "My dear Edwin, it is good to see you so well," he commented.

  Ned bowed his head and Fred clums
ily followed suit. "It is good to see you, also, King Theowin, though I go by the name Ned now," he returned.

  "But you will always remain Edwin while you are here," the king insisted. Ned bowed his head in agreement. It wouldn't do to argue over a trifle with one's host. The king looked past Ned at Fred. "And who is this young one? The apprentice castor my servants told me about?"

  "Indeed, he is my apprentice," Ned revealed. "Fred, this is King Theowin Hawain, ruler of the elves and leader of the House of Hawain. King Theowin, Fred."

  "It's a pleasure, Fred, and I hope your stay here with us is pleasurable" the king told him.

  "I'm sure I will," Fred replied.

  Movement at the front of the room caught Ned's attention and he turned. His lips twitched up in a smile and he nodded toward the entrances. "It seems some of our company are not so entertained," he commented.

  The others in their group entered the room wearing the ensemble of the elves. Ruth and Pat wore dresses with bloated skirts and blouses which were cinched at the waist by ribbons. It was the perfect hourglass figure, and Pat couldn't have hated it more. The colored clothing, the way the fabric fluttered at the smallest hint of a breeze. She would have killed the first person to tease her about the dress, and fortunately she was given only compliments and appreciative stares. Ruth for her part was trying not to giggle at Pat's predicament. Behind them Percy was dressed in the same puffy attire, but with pants instead of the skirt. He wore a vest over his blouse, and his head was nearly buried by all the ruffles that exploded from the blouse.

  Canto wore a smaller version of Percy's attire, but the ruffles hadn't been shrunken so he found himself eating cloth. Sins was dressed in his usual dark attire. Fred wondered if the assassin had evaded the clutches of the elven maidens or if he killed them for trying to suit him in the ridiculous costumes.

  The others were directed to the top of the platforms by the servants and the king smiled at his guests. "Welcome to you all," King Theowin greeted the rest of the party. He shook hands with all of them and they took their seats on both sides of his throne. Pat glared enviously at Fred's normal attire, and he shrugged. Ned sat on his left, and the chair on his right remained empty. "My daughter should be here soon. She wished to visit her hawk. He is much improved, but still has a great deal of recovery remaining," Theowin explained to the guests.

  At that moment the princess herself entered the feasting hall. She, too, was robed in the puffy outfits of the elves, but her thin figure fit the hourglass style of the clothes. Telana walked up the steps, but halfway up she tripped and nearly fell. An older male elf stepped out from a tier a few levels below the top and caught her before she fell. Her righted her and smiled down into her face, but her own expression darkened as they exchanged a few words. She interrupted his saying something, shook her head and hurried past him to where her father and the guests sat. Ned stood at her coming, and the others followed suit. Pat nearly tripped over her baggy clothes, but Ruth caught her and held her still.

  King Theowin grasped Telana's hands and kissed her on the cheek. "Good evening, my evening star," he greeted his daughter.

  "Good evening, Father. Good evening, honored guests," she spoke to the others.

  "Good evening, Telana," Ned returned, and the others gave the same greeting.

  "Telana tells me you were traveling to our fair city to destroy our Region Stone," King Theowin mused.

  "That is correct, my king," Ned replied.

  King Theowin chuckled. "It must have come as a great surprise when you learned we had already dealt with the problem."

  "It did, but it gave us much joy. We have only one stone left to destroy," Ned told him.

  The king's face fell and his eyebrows crashed down. "But is that not the most difficult? The one that lays in Canavar's kingdom will not be easily disposed of, if you can find it at all."

  "We are fortunate in the possession of a book that allows us to find the locations of the stones and their treasures," Ned revealed.

  The king raised his eyebrows. "Have you? A most curious book. I must ask you to allow our Librarians to view this fine parchment so they may make a copy for our Library," he requested.

  "That would be fine. One of our number was most curious to see the Feora Library," Ned replied, gesturing to Pat.

  King Theowin smiled. "The Librarians would be pleased to show you the collection. It is the work of countless generations, and there is nothing like it in the world."

  "I was most interested in viewing the History Book," Pat told him.

  The king chuckled. "Then you have literary tastes, but I dare say your companions won't allow you to remain here for so many years to read our history," he countered.

  "Is it as large as that?" she wondered.

  "And larger still. Every day that goes by the book adds many pages to itself," the king revealed. "Of course, it is only our own history of which it writes, but to us there is no greater subject."

  "A book that writes itself? What need have we of authors?" Percy teased.

  "We still have a great need of them. The History Book can only write down facts, and lacks the imagination to understand the connection between one event and the other," the king pointed out.

  "Does the Library hold other such wonders?" Percy wondered.

  "Nothing so important, but there are rare copies of spell books, and that is one reason for the barrier around our fair city," the king admitted. He turned to Ned with a curious expression on his face. "Telana told me you had some difficulty entering our city because of your powers. The barrier was set to make an exception to your power. Has your skill grown so much since you last came here?"

  "Perhaps the barrier may need some adjusting," Ned suggested.

  The king stroked his clean-shaven chin and nodded. "Yes, that may be the reason. I am loathe to have such a barrier, but Canavar's infiltration of our fair city those fifteen years ago forced us to erect the barrier."

  "Are ya sure it's good enough? We're not dealing with yer run-of-the-mill castor here," Canto spoke up.

  "It will suffice to keep at bay any danger from his magic," the king assured him.

  "I would say it is of better use than what a simple guard could do," a voice chimed in. Everyone turned to see the male elf who had conversed with Telana earlier step up the stairs and present himself in the open space in front of the king's table. He bowed low and smiled at the group, particularly Telana. "Greetings to you all," he added.

  The king gestured to the elf. "My honored guests, this is my cousin, Lord Ransan Hawain, manager of the port for our fair city."

  "At your service," Ransan returned in a brash, confident voice. His eyes flitted over the companions and stopped on Ned. "Ah, Edwin Tisule. I am very surprised to see you. Some years back I heard you had died."

  "I am glad to say the rumors of my death were exaggerated," Ned replied.

  "I, too, heard rumors of your death, but perhaps it was someone close to you," the king spoke up.

  Ned's expression darkened. "Perhaps," he half-heartedly agreed.

  "Did you not have another young man with you the last you came to see us seventeen years ago?" the king persisted.

  "I did, but he passed on," Ned explained.

  "Cedric Osgood, I believe you gave his name?" the king wondered.

  "Yes, that was his name," Ned confirmed, evidently not of the humor to speak of the topic.

  "He was quite proficient in magic, if I recall, and very gifted in foretelling the future," the king mused.

  "Oh yes, I recall him now!" Telana exclaimed. "He had a very unusual staff, did he not? Something he had acquired from his homeland?"

  Ned smiled and bowed his head, but his lips strained to keep the smile on them. "You are both quite right, and as we are on the subject of my last visit I am curious to know why I do not see Tatrin. Is he not in the city?"

  Telana and her father glanced at one another, and their faces showed anguish. "I am afraid you will not find my son here, and we oursel
ves can not find him anywhere else," the king revealed.

  Ned raised his eyebrows. "What? Is he missing?"

  "Yes, these last ten years. There was some disagreement between Tatrin and my cousin here," the king explained.

  "Perhaps we are prying, and this would be better spoken about in a quieter setting," Ned suggested.

  The king shook his head. "No, my family does not keep secrets from my people, so they know the story as well as we. A duel was scheduled for the following morning Come sunrise my son was nowhere to be found, and his horse was missing. Later that day his horse returned with saddle, but without rider. We have heard nor seen anything of him since," the king told them.

  "Perhaps he fled out of fear," Ransan suggested.

  Telana's eyes flashed with indignation. She stood and her hands at her sides glowed with the color of their magic. "My brother was a brave man, and would never have fled," she argued.

  "Whatever the reasons, he is gone and Telana is the sole heir to our kingdom unless Tatrin returns," Theowin added.

  "She is the beauty of our kingdom, but the thorn in every man's side," Ransan spoke up. "Every day we men are graced with her presence, and yet she chooses none to be her husband."

  Telana opened her mouth for a quick, snapping response, but her father set his hand atop hers on the table. She quieted. "I know you yourself are eager to marry her, cousin, but she has the right to choose her husband as any of our women have the right to find their love," the king reminded his kinsfolk.

  "He would not care for me were I not so wealthy," Telana muttered, and her cousin overheard her remark.

  Ransan smiled and bowed his head. "Even if you were the poorest creature in our kingdom I would still vie for your hand," he insisted.

  "I'm sure, my dear cousin," the king replied. He didn't sound convinced. "But here we are speaking of old times and arrangements of marriage when there is a feast to be eaten and dreams to be dreamed. Come, let us eat."