Silver Mage (Book 2)

by D. W. Jackson

  “Why should that matter,” Monique said dismissing his complaints. “When women want to talk you better go while you have the chance, otherwise I will call for Brenda to keep you company. I know I saw her around here somewhere.”

  “I think I will take a walk around town,” Bren said quickly getting to his feet.

  “Such a good boy,” Bren heard Monique said as the door closed behind him.

  In the courtyard Bren found Cass and his other guards practicing with a large crowd gathered around. It seemed that many people learned of the roundtable and thought that it was some sort of festival and had come from many of the neighboring counties. Bren didn’t mind, though it did stress the resources that they had available, it also meant a boost in profits to the merchants and later to himself.

  “Would you like to join us my lord?” Cass asked his voice strained from the hard exercise.

  “Maybe later Cass,” Bren replied. “Right now I would like a bit of fresh air.

  As they walked Cass moved in to stand beside Bren. “I noticed the lady from the merchant guild go inside. Did the meeting go worse than you had expected?”

  “I wasn’t really prepared but she gave the fight away for the most part though I still didn’t get as much as I hoped,” Bren admitted. “She was more interested in Lillian though so I was officially kicked out of my own home,” Bren added smiling.

  “Haven’t you learned yet no man can own a home when there are women about,” Cass said laughing. Even if they're just a guest, a woman owns a home the second she steps foot inside.”

  “You are a wise man,” Bren said laughing.

  “If you are banished from your home what are you planning to do?”

  “I think I will take the chance to see the town and what everyone is up to,” Bren said looking down the street. “Hopefully there hasn’t been much trouble.”

  “Nothing more than one would expect from this large a gathering of people,” Cass said. “Honestly Flynn is handling it very well and so far no one has been injured. Jacob also has his trainees doing patrols under the guise of training so that helps a great deal considering how short we are on numbers.”

  “That is good, I need to think of a way to thank him for his efforts,” Bren said thoughtfully. “The real challenge will be tomorrow. There is no telling how the different monarchs will act when all three of them get in the same room. They each are different in their way of ruling and honestly none of them mesh well when it comes to policies.”

  “Do you expect trouble? I was the only one of your guards to be present during the talks… Should I have more of the men available?”

  “No, even if we had more, if anything happened it would cause more trouble if we interfered. It will be a touchy few days and tensions could reach a boiling point. Our real job as hosts is to make sure that once the day ends they are able to forget about as much of it as they can.”

  “I will trust you on this but if at any time your safety is at issue I will intervene in the manner I think is best,” Cass said with a determined look on his face.

  “Just try not to start a war,” Bren said sighing deeply.

  As they walked through the town they found many stalls set up for the visitors to look through. Even crusher had many of his wears placed on a large wooden table for people to buy. When Crusher saw Bren the burley dwarf called out to him.

  “Ya been so busy lately I haven’t had the chance ta bring this by,” The dwarf said bringing out a long package wrapped in thick brown paper.

  Pulling on a thin string that was wrapped around the paper the warping fell away to expose a long black sword. Bren held the sword up to the light and he could see his reflection in the polished blade but as he ran his fingers over the edge he could tell that it wasn’t made of metal. The hilt was exquisitely made and was carved so that many small eagles seemed to be in flight all coming together to form one large eagle that held a large emerald in its claws.

  When Bren lowered the sword Crusher handed him a black scabbard that was trimmed in dark green. “What is it made of?” Bren asked as he slipped the sword into its sheath.

  “I don’t mind telling ya if ya promise that ya will keep it a secret,” Crusher said in hushed tones.

  “Is this one of those secrets that your kind loves to tell but keep to themselves at the same time,” Bren asked with a wry smile.

  “They are the only kind worth keeping. It’s a test of friendship. If ya tell anyone, I will kill ya than lament the loss of a good friend,” the dwarf replied seriously.

  “Then you have my word,” Bren said confidently.

  “The blade is made of a type of sand only found deep below the ground. Dwarven glass workers have been trying fer years to mold it, but it’s as stubborn as a mule. And don’t you think fer a moment that by glass I mean it will break. When done correctly, it is harder than any metal you will ever find and holds an edge no matter how it’s used. Rest assured, you have the best weapon that can possibly be made by my hands.”

  “Doesn’t glass repel magic?” Bren asked looking down at the sword.

  “In a way,” Crusher admitted. “It doesn’t absorb it the way the Brotherhood’s white swords do, it just isn’t affected by it. Thought that might come in handy next time ya have an argument with the council,” Crusher added winking.

  “That sounds more like you’re only telling me you know a secret, not what the secret is,” Bren said laughing. “How do you work the glass?”

  “That is my secret alone,” Crusher said fiercely. “Now, why don’t ya lads join me for a drink ta celebrate yer new sword.”

  CHAPTER XI

  The next morning, Bren woke with the telltale throbbing of his head that let him know that the rest of the day would not be a pleasant one. As expected shortly after he woke, Lillian appeared in his room carrying a mug of the dark green slush that she called tea.

  Bren quickly downed the green liquid trying his best to let as little of it as possible touch his tongue. Even with his best efforts, the taste filled his mouth and made him work not to gag. After a few seconds, his stomach settled and his head begun to clear but the taste persisted.

  “Why does it have to taste so bad?” Bren asked, handing the mug back to Lillian.

  “Because I want it to,” She said with an evil smile.

  “You’re telling me that you could make it taste better?” Bren said, looking up at the elf surprised.

  “I could easily make it taste better my lord, but if I did that, then you, like every other fool would drink themselves to death every night,” She said, turning toward the door. “There has to be some price paid for such behavior.”

  “You are an evil woman Lillian,” Bren said, looking at the elven maiden in a new light.

  “Thank you for the compliment my lord,” Lillian said, giving him a half smile before disappearing into the hallway.

  As he strapped on his new sword, Bren looked at his father’s sword that now sat in the corner of the room and picked it up. It was his by all rights, but it would be a waste for it to set in his small room collecting dust.

  Cass and the others were waiting on him, though Cass looked as if he had a well-rested night instead of the hangdog look that normally hung on his face after a night with Crusher. You drank the tea,” Bren accused his friend as he moved to stand next to him.

  “I didn’t have a choice,” Cass said with a sour look. “Lillian said it wouldn’t do to have me languishing about during the meeting and threatened to have the others hold me down while she poured it down my throat if I didn’t drink it willingly. She is the true meaning of an evil woman.”

  “I completely agree,” Bren said, looking to make sure that Lillian was not within earshot.

  Bren and Cass were the first to arrive at the tower where the meetings would be held, as they were the only place with a room big enough for all three delegates to sit together with the respectable amount of space. Luckily they didn’t have to hunt down Master Turneal as he was already in
the room awaiting them. Bren never liked the hassle of all the rules that followed such gatherings, but he knew they needed to be adhered to. If it was just King Killian, Bren could have simply talked with him in an open field, but his mother and King William liked ceremony.

  Killian was the second to arrive, bringing only one of the guards Bren had provided for security. That action alone spoke volumes about his level of trust. “Your majesty, I am surprised to see you here so early. I thought it was still hours away before the start of the roundtable. Did someone misinform you about the schedule?”

  “No I am well aware of the schedule but as the monarch that called this meeting I wanted to make sure that I was the first one to arrive,” Killian said gruffly. “Let me once again extend my thanks for agreeing to host this affair on such short notice.”

  “It was a pleasure,” Bren said with a slight bow. “It is the least I could do for one of the heroes of the Brotherhood war.”

  “Hero,” Killian said laughing. “When you were a child did you run about pretending to be me?”

  “No,” Bren said slightly embarrassed. “I always pretended to be my father.”

  “Hero is such a wasted title,” Killian said more to himself then to Bren. “Do you know what it means to be a hero?”

  “No,” Bren replied hesitantly.

  “It means a person was unlucky enough to be at the wrong place at the wrong time and fortunate enough to live through it,” Killian said with a smile. “Think about it, the only people who are truly remembered are those that held position of powers during the war. Few remember the names of the large number of warriors who fought and died on the battlefield even though without them everything would have been lost. No they remember the names of the people who led the charge and survived, and even some of those were lost within a few years’ time. If you want to be a hero you’re off to a good start. Start a war and win and you will be remember as a hero at least for a time then maybe later as a tyrant.”

  “You don’t seem to like the idea of heroes,” Bren said taken aback by his strong words. “They might not be the only ones who fought, but they are the ones who give hope and inspiration to the children so they wish to grow up to take the field of battle.”

  “All soldiers are heroes,” Killian said. “Remember that if you ever have to lead men on the field. Everyone willing to lift a blade in your aid should be treated as such.”

  “I shall take your words to heart majesty,” Bren said bowing his head.

  Queen Maria arrived second an hour before the start of the meeting and politely asked for Bren to talk with her alone after the roundtable ended for the day. Queen Eloen and King William arrived only a few moments before the requested time.

  “I would like to welcome everyone to this roundtable,” Bren said once everyone was seated. “King Killian of Rane, Queen Maria of Farlan, as well King William, and Queen Eloen of Abla, Torin welcomes you.” Bren waited and after each of the monarchs acknowledged his greeting he pushed forward. “King Killian you were the one who called this meeting and while I have a basic understanding of why, I believe everything would proceed fastest if I let you take over now.”

  Killian stood as Bren sat and gave him a curt bow. “It is a great pleasure to see many of you again. I just wish that it was under different circumstances. As my letters have informed each of you, my men have been ordered to keep a lookout for the Brotherhood as they perform their duties across the land. At the end of last fall, one of my men sent back a report that they had found a small group of five Brotherhood soldiers traveling along the road. As some of you know, my people dislike the Brotherhood for personal reasons so the men had planned to follow the soldiers and take care of them once they left the road for the night. Unluckily, the soldiers camped with a band of traveling merchants and my men were unable to act. They continued to follow the soldiers the next day when they met up with a much larger contingent. My men knew that something was going on so they continued to follow the group until they were lead to a large valley in Houremara to the north where they found more than three thousand Brotherhood soldiers building a small town. From my best guess, it would seem that they are trying to rebuild a base of power in order to carry out their duty. I called this meeting so that we could discuss how best to address this possible threat.

  Turneal stood and waited, his eyes flashing over to Bren. “Would the table please recognize master Turneal the delegate from the tower?” Killian looked from Bren to Turneal then nodded his hand.

  “Thank you majesty,” Turneal said, bowing his head to Bren, though his eyes still brimmed with anger. “I do not believe this is a possible threat, but an absolute one. The Brotherhood’s goals are to wipe out all magic and that would mean they would have to attack Torin and the tower.”

  “I see your view Master Turneal, but you must remember that does not mean that the rest of us must get involved,” Killian said his tone cold and rigid. “Though, I will not permit them to move a large force across my land. I currently have a group of my best trackers watching them to see if they have any designs this far south, if I learn of anything that could aid you, rest assured that I will notify you.”

  “We need to crush them before they grow too strong again,” Turneal said angrily.

  “It is not that we don’t understand your views Master Turneal but to get to them we would have to cross at least four other kingdoms with an army and most likely engage their host state in war to get near them. It would be a massive undertaking one that none of us can afford at this time,” King William said politely.

  “Then why are you here if not to help?” Turneal said in disgust.

  “Lord Torin, I know that you invited the Master so that his views could be heard, but I must demand that he leave at once. He does not seem to have the decorum needed for a meeting such as this,” Maria said, giving him a withering glare.

  Turneal began to speak, but he was quickly silenced when Cass grabbed him by the collar and yanked him toward the exit. Bren could tell that Cass has told the elder master something, but couldn’t tell what it was though it seemed to quiet him quickly.”

  “I apologize for his actions,” Bren said as soon as the master was escorted out of the room. “I hope that you understand that the Master is not used to dealing with people of your stature and the thought of the Brotherhood always puts those in the tower on edge.”

  “We will not hold it against him,” Killian said dismissively. “Even if someone his age should understand the proper way to act.”

  “Now on to the real reason for this meeting,” Bren said moving on, hoping that the others would forget the master’s action in what was to come next. “What do you think should be done my fellow lords?”

  “We should simply watch for now,” Killian said quickly. “Until we know their plans, it would be foolish to act.”

  “I don’t think that is enough,” Eloen said, shaking her head. “The brotherhood has sowed fear for ages and killed people in every land without regard for the laws of the land. I think we need to send a delegate to Houremara to demand he kick them from his land.”

  “I don’t think talking with Houramara will be a good idea,” Maria interjected. “It would tip our hand too quickly, and the Brotherhood most likely has spies within the palace.”

  Everything quickly disintegrated as the talks uttered with each king and queen offering an idea and the others quickly disagreeing. The only thing they were in unison against was open war, as it would be too large of a strain on all the countries.

  The day ended with nothing being decided but that was to be expected. Each Lord had their own views and none of them had the same styles. It would have been nice for everything to be finished in a day but that would have been unreasonable. Bren figured that it would take a minimum of three days for the roundtable to reach a decision of any kind.

  “Bren, will you attend me please,” Maria asked as the other lords were leaving the tower.

  “It would be a pleasure your maje
sty,” Bren said, bowing his head and holding out his arm for his mother to take.

  “It would seem that you were very foolish after I left last year,” She said frowning. “That is what I thought at first anyway, but after meeting that babbling buffoon of a master, I am surprised you didn’t do more than sever a few heads.”

  “If I would have pushed any further, the whole tower would have united against me and I would have been overwhelmed,” Bren replied, shrugging his shoulders. “Oh, here,” Bren said, remembering the sword swung across his back. “Its father’s sword…I had to get a new one because…”

  Maria looked down at the sword as she cradled it like a small child. “Your father would have rushed in and tried to fight them all off,” Maria said giggling. “He was always so straightforward when dealing with people. It made him a horrible politician.”

  “Growing up with the red-haired devil queen, it would be odd if I didn’t know how to handle myself when dealing with a political threat,” Bren said, giving his mother a small smile.

  “Even though you still got thrown into a dungeon,” Maria replied teasingly.

  “Bren,” A loud voice yelled from behind him. Turning around he saw Phena running toward him. “Sorry, I didn’t know you were occupied,” Phena said when she noticed Maria standing next to him.

  “If it’s important, I am sure that my mother won’t mind,” Bren said, trying to keep himself between his mother and Phena.

  “Is it true that Master Turneal was thrown out of the meeting with the lords?” Phena asked quickly. “Master Sae-Thae said that the whole council was in an uproar over it.”

  “The master forgot his manners so he was asked to leave,” Maria said, glaring at Phena. “When he didn’t take the news to heart, he was escorted out.”

  “Mother please, Phena isn’t at fault here,” Bren asked pleadingly.

  “Defending the daughter of a Vathari harlot,” Maria said turning around. “I didn’t know your tastes had fallen so far.”

  “Mother, that is enough,” Bren said loudly. “Phena didn’t get a choice of her parentage, so quit blaming her for the actions of my father and her mother.”