Search for Audric

by Richard S. Tuttle

  "So you can get your soldiers ready to follow me again?" questioned the prince.

  "General Fergus did that on his own," chuckled the king. "He was annoyed that you had so easily evaded his men, but it secretly made me proud of you. No, Antion, I will not try to deceive you. I will send men before you, but they are not to follow you. I would not betray your identity for such a foolish mission. I just want my men to check out the forests of western Capri before your little party departs. They will not know why I am ordering them to do so, but it will give me some modicum of peace to have it done. Besides, your party should be well rested. Capri is not a friendly country for small parties."

  "I have no problem with your condition," replied Prince Antion, "but how am I to explain the delay to my traveling partners without arousing suspicions?"

  "There I can help," smiled King Caedmon. "There are two traveling with you who know your identity. The three of you can express a desire to rest for a few days. As for the merchant, I will make him a profitable offer to move things around the city for me. If he is truly a merchant, he will not refuse."

  "You are devious," chuckled Prince Antion. "When will I learn to think like that?"

  "You already have," laughed the king. "Find an excuse to be on your own tomorrow. I want you to spend some time with the family."

  "How will I get into the palace?" asked the prince.

  "Through the small gate into the graveyard," answered the king. "The guards will be missing during the first hour of the day. There will also be a drill requiring the wall guards to leave their posts. I can only guarantee an hour, so do not be late."

  Chapter 24

  Secrets and Rumors

  The Rim and Spoke Inn was a favorite stopping place for Kerzi whenever he came to Anatar. It was located in the northeast quarter of the city and had enough room around it for wagons to park without a lot of effort. The rooms were clean and the innkeeper friendly. In the common room, Kerzi's party gathered for the evening meal, and their spirits were bright.

  "I have always loved this city," smiled the merchant, "because everyone is so friendly, but I never imagined that I would meet the king face-to-face. He is a most agreeable man. Isn't that how you read him, Gunnar?"

  "Very much so," smiled the prince of Arin.

  "What did he talk to you about?" asked Kerzi. "Was he as friendly in private as he was when we both talked to him?"

  "He was very friendly," agreed Gunnar. "He knows that hard times are coming to the Land of the Nine Kingdoms, and he wanted information about our travels and what we encountered. He was quite interested in Monte."

  "Me?" asked Monte. "Why would he be interested in me?"

  "He asked who my fellow travelers were and I told him," explained Gunnar. "When he learned that a Caroomite was among us, he was anxious for some of his people to talk to you. It seems that a Prince Calitar recently visited Anatar, but no one knows for sure if the man was who he said he was. Do you know him?"

  "I do know of him," Monte nodded, "but not on personal terms. I will, of course, be of whatever help I can be to the authorities."

  "You will get your chance rather soon," Talot said softly as two officers entered the common room. "I suspect the king might be rather anxious for whatever you can tell them."

  The officers scanned the common room and immediately marched over to Kerzi's table. Kerzi stood and smiled as he recognized the officer who had paid him for the shipment from Kyland.

  "Sit, Kerzi," smiled the officer. "There is no reason to stand on my account."

  "I trust there was no problem with my delivery?" Kerzi asked as he sat down.

  "On the contrary," smiled the officer. "Arin is very pleased with your service. In fact, I have need of your services to transport goods within the city, if that is acceptable to you."

  "Within the city?" echoed the merchant. "I would be most pleased to help out in any way that I can, but can it wait until morning? It has been a long day for us."

  "I would not think of dragging a merchant away from his meal," replied the officer. "The job I need done is likely to take two to three days, and it pays rather well. Starting in the morning is what I had in mind."

  Kerzi's eyes brightened. Arin had been most generous in their payment for the delivery from Kyland, and a couple of days of driving around the city would be a break from his normal routine.

  "I am at your service," grinned the old man.

  "Excellent," smiled the officer. "I will send instructions to you in time for the morning meal."

  The officer turned and left, but the second officer remained. His eyes wavered over the party and settled on Kerzi.

  "I am told that your party includes a warrior from Caroom," stated the second officer. "Is that correct?"

  "I am from Caroom," volunteered Monte.

  "Can you describe Prince Calitar to me?" inquired the officer.

  "He is an average looking fellow in terms of height and girth," began Monte. "He dresses quite elegantly and has black hair. One distinguishing thing about the prince is a nasty scar upon his left cheek."

  "You mean his right cheek?" interrupted the officer.

  "No," Monte shook his head. "The scar is on his left cheek."

  "Surely, you are mistaken," frowned the officer as he took a piece of paper from his pouch and unfolded it. He handed the drawing to Monte. "Is this not the man?"

  Monte stared at the picture and shook his head. "Only if one were looking in a mirror," declared the Caroomite. "The scar is on the wrong side of his face."

  "Are you positive?" pushed the officer.

  "Absolutely," Monte nodded vigorously. "I saw the accident happen; just about everyone in the marketplace did. We were both young at the time, but I can still picture him falling off that wall. His cheek was a bloody mess when the men ran to help him. It is a sight that I will never forget. It reinforced my father's words to obey my elders. Young Calitar was making a fool of himself that day, and many men shouted for him to get off the wall, but he thought himself invincible, as most boys do I guess. His fall is etched into my mind for all time. This is not a picture of Prince Calitar unless your artist was looking in a mirror."

  The soldier folded the paper and put it back in his pouch. "Thank you," he nodded to Monte and then he left the common room.

  "Are you truly sure of what you told the soldier?" asked Gunnar.

  "I am positive," replied Monte. "The likeness was very good, but a scar does not jump from cheek to cheek."

  "You seem disturbed by this," Kerzi frowned at Gunnar. "Does this have anything to do with the Borundans chasing you?"

  "I am not sure," admitted Gunnar. "The king told me that this prince from Caroom was inside the palace and spending time with the princess. They believed him to be a spy for Borunda."

  "The king told you this?" gasped Monte.

  "Not exactly," Gunnar replied hesitantly, "but I did ask why they were so interested in a man from Caroom being in our party."

  "So we have another day or two in Anatar," interrupted Horst as he tried to save his friend from saying something that he would later regret. "What shall we do with them? Shall we take turns helping Kerzi so that we each can enjoy some free time?"

  Gunnar was glad to have the topic of conversation changed. He sighed with relief and nodded to his friend in thanks for saving him.

  "I will help out tomorrow," offered Talot. "What better way to see the city than to be driven around by someone who has been here before?"

  "I will take the day after," volunteered Gunnar. "I want to spend some time tomorrow exploring alone on foot."

  Horst knew something was afoot, but the Arin prince had not confided in him. Whatever Antion was up to, Jared had to be kept away from him.

  "I think I will take Jared to the marketplace," offered the horseman. "What say you, Monte? Will it be the marketplace with me and Jared, or the wagon with Talot and Kerzi?"

  "I will wait for the instructions in the morning to make up my mind," answered Monte
. "If it looks like Talot and Kerzi will need help, I will go with them; otherwise the marketplace is fine."

  The following morning, Gunnar slipped out of the inn to find Horst waiting outside. The Odessian grinned at Gunnar's surprise.

  "You know me too well," chuckled the Arin prince. "Thank you for your help last night at the evening meal. I sometimes forget that I am playing a role."

  "That is why I am with you," smiled Horst. "Do you need someone to watch your back while you sneak off to the palace?"

  "How did you know?" frowned Gunnar.

  "Your family suffers from the lack of you," shrugged Horst. "What is there to understand? I would have been more surprised if that was not your destination."

  Gunnar nodded thoughtfully. "I am glad that you are with me," he smiled, "but everything has already been prepared. I will be fine."

  "Alright," nodded Horst. "Have a good day, and offer my respects to your family."

  "I shall," agreed the Arin prince.

  Gunnar slipped off into the predawn haze. The Arin prince knew the city of Anatar well, and he made his way to the small gate in the palace wall just as the sun was peeking over the horizon. He slipped the key, which his father had given him, out of his pouch and moved swiftly to the wall. He unlocked the gate and moved quickly into the cemetery and relocked the gate.

  It felt eerie to the Arin prince to see no soldiers guarding the palace. He ran to the nearest door leading into the palace and found it slightly ajar. With one last look around the cemetery, he slid inside and closed the door. The corridor was dark, the torches extinguished. As he made his way along the dark corridor, he sensed another presence ahead of him. He was not sure if he had heard something, or saw movement, but he knew that he was not alone.

  "Hurry along, son," came his father's voice. "I do not want to chance a soldier disobeying his assignment. The men of the palace are very concerned with security, and I am sure that my orders raised more than one eyebrow."

  Prince Antion moved swiftly and his father turned and led the way through a jumble of passageways that was not a direct path to the chambers of the royal family. Neither of the men spoke until they were safely in the chambers.

  "That was a rather chaotic path to the chambers," frowned Prince Antion. "Why?"

  "I have the patrols timed," grinned the king. "It is a minor flaw in the security that I will address immediately after you leave."

  "I hope so," replied the prince. "It gave me an ill feeling sneaking into the palace. What if others could do so?"

  "We have a group who tries once a week," answered the king. "They are fairly good at discovering our weak spots. We will always need improvement, but we are fairly secure now."

  "How will I get out?" asked Prince Antion.

  "There is a secret passage leading into the city," smiled King Caedmon.

  "A secret passage?" echoed the prince. "How is that possible? Surely others must know."

  "Only the king's advisor and I know of it," replied the king. "It is a passageway that was built when this palace was erected hundreds of years ago. The king's advisor is privy to its existence only to enable him to protect the royal family and to pass it down to the next king. It has been that way since the time of its completion. You will use it to leave the palace tonight. You must hold this secret as your most guarded possession to preserve its use for future generations."

  "I will, father," promised Prince Antion. "Have you received the report about the conversation with Monte?"

  "Less than an hour after he spoke to the officer," nodded the king. "It was a busy night here in the palace last night. Do you think Monte remembered correctly?"

  "I do," replied Prince Antion. "I think the event made its mark on his young, impressionable mind. Are you sure that your artist did not make an error?"

  "Positive," sighed King Caedmon. "The drawing is not just based on your sister's memory, but many others. Many people saw Prince Calitar, or whoever he really was. The drawing is accurate."

  "How can that be?" pondered the prince.

  "The question of the day," responded the king. "I had meetings last night with several wispers. They were divided over the question of the possibility of the Talent allowing such a deception. I tend to believe that magic was used to alter the spy's appearance. The soldier died a magical death after all, so we know the spy had the Talent within him."

  "That is not something that I would wish to be true," frowned Prince Antion, "but I agree with you. Even if we are wrong, we must assume that such a capability exists and plan to defend against it."

  "Well spoken," smiled King Caedmon. "We also received a messenger from Tarent late last night."

  "Tarent?" frowned Prince Antion. "What do they want?"

  "We have been invited to a coronation," replied the king. "It appears that Naveena's regency is to be short lived. Garrick is to be crowned king at the end of the month."

  "The end of the month?" echoed the prince. "That is quick. There will be barely enough time for the farthest capitals to respond. What will you do?"

  "I have not talked with King Hector yet," answered the king, "but I will not be attending, nor will any member of my family."

  "They will take that as a slight," noted Prince Antion. "Is that the wisest course of action?"

  "Now you sound much like Evan," smiled King Caedmon. "It will be a slight to the kingdom of Borunda, but I cannot help feeling threatened by them. I am not about to put my family under their control. I am pondering the option of sending someone to represent Arin, but there is no choice that I can think of that would satisfy them."

  "They would be inclined to abuse whoever you send," sighed Prince Antion. "Then they could use your justifiable reaction as a prelude to war. There is no winning position in this challenge."

  "Your thoughts are those of a man who understands his enemy well," smiled King Caedmon. "You have grown a great deal, and I am proud to call you my son. What do you think King Hector will do?"

  "I have not spoken to the Salacian king in some time," mused Prince Antion, "but if he reacts as Derri would, he will join you in boycotting the ceremony. You two are like brothers. To attack one is to attack the other."

  "Quite true," agreed the king, "but he must also think of his people. They do come before his feelings. Why is Prince Derri not with you?"

  "I thought it unsafe for him to join with us," answered Prince Antion. "In fact, I have had little choice in who joined with me. Jared is the only one I asked to come with me. Horst and Talot insisted, and Monte was seeking a life of adventure. As bold as I sound when I plead my case with you, father, I am well aware that my travels may well be the end of me, and anyone who is with me at the time."

  "I understand," nodded the king, "and I am glad to see competent people around you, but Prince Derri is also the best tracker that I have ever seen. His skills would be put to good use in Capri, and he is quite capable of defending himself."

  "You think I was wrong to exclude him?" asked the prince.

  "No," answered the king. "I do think it is wrong to base all of your decisions on the fear of others getting hurt. Prince Derri may well escort his father to Tarent later this month and die because of that journey. None of us can forecast the future, son. If I made my decisions based solely on fear, you would not be leaving this palace."

  "That is something for me to consider," nodded Prince Antion, "but it is not pertinent now in any event. Our journey is well past Kyland. Do you really think there is danger for the Salacians in Tarent?"

  "I truly don't know," admitted King Caedmon. "The Borundans have made it clear that they think nothing of offending Arin, but Salacia is another matter. I wish I knew exactly what Garrick was up to. I even contemplated going to the coronation in an attempt to discover the truth, but I came to my senses. Any nation that would send a mage into my home to spy is not a nation that I would trust."

  "If the Salacians do decide to go," suggested the prince, "they will have to pass through Anatar. You could ask
King Hector to gauge the feelings of Garrick towards Arin."

  "I may do that," nodded the king, "but enough of this dreary talk. It is time to visit with your family. Both your mother and your sister have missed you very much."

  * * *

  Prince Garrick sat at the head of the long table, and Prince Zinan sat at his right hand. The members of the Council of Advisors looked around for the regent, but Naveena was conspicuously absent.

  "I think we can begin the meeting," declared Prince Zinan.

  "The Regent is not present," objected General Ortega.

  "Nor will she be," Prince Zinan said coolly. "She is not feeling well, but that is a minor technicality. Prince Garrick is for all practical purposes the King of Borunda. While we may not have had the coronation yet, that is only a delay to allow the foreign dignitaries time to assemble and pay their respects. We should not let such formalities get in the way of running the country."

  "May I ask why you are here, Prince Zinan?" questioned General Wikner.

  "I am the king's advisor," Prince Zinan replied with a challenging stare. "I see no reason to delay the performance of my duties. Now, if we are finished with the trivial matters, Prince Garrick would like to begin this meeting. Are there any objections?"

  Several of the members whispered to one another, but no one was willing to incur the wrath of the future king over such a senseless argument. Whatever the king planned to do, he would have the right to do in a few weeks anyway.

  "Welcome, members of the Council of Advisors," Prince Garrick began. "I am pleased that there is no objection to starting my reign early as I have not been pleased with the progress that we have been making in a number of key areas. My primary concern is the size and condition of our armies. We have been trying to recruit for months now, and the result has been dismal. Can you explain this, General Ortega?"

  The general rose and met Prince Garrick's icy stare, but he felt awkward with not knowing how to address the prince formally.

  "I shall try, Your Highness," he finally decided. "Our efforts have failed mostly because of attitude. Those who yearned for service in the military have already joined up, and that has resulted in a marked increase in the size of our armies, but there are still many likely candidates who show no interest in serving. If our nation was at war, I believe most of those holdouts would readily enlist. You and I have discussed this issue in the past, and my analysis of it has not changed."