"Should I go somewhere else?" I asked quickly.
"No. You are in the middle of this. Let's hear your take on the situation." Victor waved me towards a chair. Stain nodded and leaned back. He was obviously frustrated.
"What is going on?" I risked a question.
"Your master is wanting to put everyone in the compound inside a truth circle and accuse them of being a traitor." Victor bluntly explained.
"That is not what I was saying!" Stain griped. "I simply said that would be the only way to find out who was the traitor. I cannot seem to figure it out any other way."
I thought a moment. "What about setting a trap?" I had mentioned it earlier, perhaps Stain had forgotten.
Stain nodded, "If we could do a trap that did not risk anyone's safety I would gladly do so. But every trap that could expose the traitor seems to put someone at risk."
Victor leaned back. "So let's figure out a way to set up a trap with either no risk or a controlled risk."
I leaned forward, "Like when dad and I would trap large predators to relocate away from humans."
Both of them looked surprised at this.
"Predators? What kind?" Stain asked.
"Well the biggest was a bear that kept scaring all the shepherds." I remembered that bear. It was massive and mean.
"How in the world did you catch a bear?" Victor was in mild shock.
I smiled, "Well it was dad's plan. The bear kept attacking sheep and eating them. So my dad covered one sheep with the juice of a moon shade berry. He tied out that sheep near where the bear was last seen. That night the bear attacked the sheep and ate the sheep, also eating a lot of the moon shade berry. The next morning we found it sound asleep. We then moved it to a new location and that took care of that problem."
Victor shook his head, "Sounds like a good plan."
"Except for the sheep." Stain's voice was grim.
"Also how did you move the bear? Those things are massive." Victor was still processing the ideas.
"We used a special basket basically. A large cart was built around the basket and lifted the bear. When we got to our location we simply untied a few ropes and drove the cart away. Within a few hours the bear woke up and demolished the basket." I remember watching the bear shred the basket. It had put in my mind how strong such an animal could be.
"So how do we apply this to our traitor?" Stain seemed annoyed.
Victor looked thoughtful, "We figure out what they are looking for and set a baited trap. The trap incapacitates them. We then handle them." He looked at Stain and me. "Hopefully without any sheep being killed."
"So what do we use as bait?" Stain asked. "And what is the trap?"
"Well, they seem to want to get their hands on young Ott here and maybe Raven." Victor looked at me and grinned a devious smile. "Since neither of them are helpless I think that with a little planning they can be part bait and part of the trap."
Stain looked unsure. "That sounds reasonable. We have to figure out how to do that."
We all sat there for a few minutes thinking.
"How about someone let it slip that the two younglings are going off on a excursion. Something slightly romantic and innocent." Pat piped up from above us.
We all looked up and I smiled. All three of my friends were in the rafters listening. Mophar waved while Fiosrach sat stoically looking down.
"Perhaps you three would like to join us?" Stain's voice was full of annoyance yet a trace of humor.
"We do not mind if we do." They all dropped down to find seats.
"I suggest we get the ladies in on this also." Fiosrach calmly mentioned.
"That is a good idea." Stain stated. His magic whipped up and a small puff flew to the fireplace and up the chimney.
We all sat quietly while we waited. Shortly a sharp knock was followed by Conium and Raven walking through the doorway.
"So what is going on?" Conium grabbed a seat next to Victor. Raven sat beside me and leaned against my shoulder.
"We are discussing how to lure the traitor into a trap while using Ott and Raven as bait." Victor plainly stated.
Raven looked startled while Conium looked thoughtful. "That could work. I imagine any traitor has been instructed to take any opportunity to get close to our group and to keep an eye out for chances to capture Ott and perhaps even Raven." She looked over at Stain. "So are we really considering this or just talking?"
Stain sighed, "I think Ott's idea is the best I have heard so far. Everything else could be hit or miss."
"I think the plan has merit, especially if we have everyone involved." Pat looked around. "Each of us brings an advantage to the group. If we combine those advantages then we should be able to outwit any old traitor."
Conium smiled devilishly, "So, what do we have planned so far?"
"Ott and Raven go on a romantic picnic away from everyone." Victor dropped this quickly and simply.
Raven's face went blank then she blushed. Conium chuckled. "Sounds believable. What then?"
"That's it so far." Mophar snarked.
Conium looked around and shook her head. "I am surrounded by a bunch of uncreative louts. They cannot suddenly just go on a romantic picnic. There has to be some leading up to it. Some talk. Some juicy gossip about how Ott is pining after Raven. How she desires his attention. That kind of thing."
Victor nodded, "Very good point. We must make it seem as if this makes perfect sense."
Stain just sat there bent over laughing quietly to himself. I threw a pillow at him. "I think that if we are kept busy for a few days, no real chance to spend time together it would make sense for us to want to have a nice, private moment alone."
"Good! That's the spirit." Victor looked around. "I know where you could go for the picnic. There is a crystal cave not far from here. The young couples use it to have privacy and it's romantic."
Conium grinned and added, "If we can keep the secret that Mophar is intelligent then he can travel with Ott with impunity."
We spent the better part of the evening planning the trap. By the end each person knew where and what they would be doing. A mage would cover all areas to be traveled and the crystal cave would be guarded for ambushes. The date was agreed upon. Even the meal for the picnic was planned out with an eye for realism. Once the plan was hammered out everyone left, leaving Stain and myself watching the fire.
"What if this works?" I asked Stain. Another traitor would be exposed.
"What if it does not work?" Stain countered. "What if the spy outwits us? That is my worry." He stood up. "I also am going to make a few more provisions in case things go sideways. I can not bear the thought of the two of you being put in harms way once again." He walked out and headed for his room. The light from his room suddenly cut off as he shut his door. I sat there a while and watched the fire dance and wiggle, seemingly almost alive and thinking. The next few days were going to be rough.
* * *
I was right. The next few days were a pain. I barely got to see Raven and everyone was jumping at shadows. I continued learning about air battle magic, both brute strength and subtle magic. I have to admit the brute strength magic allowed me to work off my frustrations. I destroyed many rocks and even figured out how to make some complicated spells work better. Charles kept me company for hours, teaching me how to use air magic in tricky ways. He even showed me some practical jokes that he had learned. My favorite caused the air around a person to thicken or thin causing their voice to change. I could make my voice higher or lower. Doing it too much made us dizzy however.
"What would you like to do today?" Charles asked me. "Other than blow up rocks."
I thought a moment and admitted. "To get this whole ordeal done and over with."
"I understand that thought." Charles clapped me on the shoulder. "Just remember to do what the plan says and not to get creative with it. Relax, if everything goes according to plan nothing bad happens."
I smiled, "Okay. I think until lunch we should practice some of the
subtle air spells, so we both have our energy for later."
We walked over to a very unique area on the mountain. Evidently there was a hot springs that bubbled up to the top of the mountain. The previous residents had carved the rock to form pools of successively cooler water. A person could pick a pool to soak in according to how hot the water was. The hottest pool was usually unoccupied as it was so hot. Cracklecord could occasionally be found floating in that pool. Charles had taught me to move the air over the pools so that the steam from the surface moved around. It helped me visualize the movement of the air magic much better. Also it was fun to do. We spent the better part of the morning manipulating the air, chasing steam. A few bathers called out to us to stop cooling them off.
"I wondered where you two had gotten off to." Stain walked up. "Pestering the bathers again I see." He sat down next to me. "Try pulling some of the cold air down from up higher in the atmosphere."
I looked over at him and saw he had a sneaky smile. Looking up I focused and pulled. A burst of cold air rushed down from high above the mountain. The steam above the pools thickened and suddenly there was hollering and yelling as a skim of ice formed on the lower pools. I let the spell go and looked around. The cold air had made the steam seem to fill the entire area.
Stain chuckled and pointed. "That is one way to cause an entire area to be hidden from view. Plus I can guess most of the bathers are staying in the water till the air heats back up. Which will only take a moment or so, so we should exit while we still can." He stood and walked quickly down from the area.
At the bottom of the stairs he paused, looked around, and pulled me close. "I still have no idea who might be the traitor. We are doing the plan at lunch. Everything is going according to plan so far." With that he walked off.
Charles caught up and asked, "Any thing I need to know?"
I shook my head, "The plan is still going to happen."
He grinned and said, "Well at least we will be getting it over with, let us go change so we are all ready for the great plan." He marched me off to my cabin and then went on to his cabin.
I freshened up and gathered up some supplies. I grabbed my bottomless bag and put everything I might need into it. I strapped on The Finisher and combed my hair.
"I do not think a sword is a wise idea for a romantic picnic." Stain stood at the doorway watching me.
I took it off and hung it back up. "I hate going without a weapon."
Stain walked into my room and handed me the staff that had been given to me. "I believe that this is more than enough weapon for what we do today."
I took the staff and balanced it. Like before it felt much heavier than it appeared. "I guess. Plus it could pass for a fancy walking staff."
Stain nodded, "Now, are you ready for a romantic picnic with the love of your life." His tone said he was joking but there was some seriousness to it also.
I looked at him, "She could be, could she not?" I had thought it before.
Stain grinned. "It is good to think so. Just take it slow, one day at a time." He looked me over and nodded. "You look ready. Let's go to the main hall. They are preparing your basket now."
We walked out and headed to the main hall. Pat and Mophar joined us as we left the cabin. I could feel Fiosrach nearby, possible even traveling through the rock underfoot. As we approached the hall Raven and Conium approached from another direction. Raven was dressed, well, like a woman instead of a warrior. She wore a green split skirt over a set of brown trousers. Her blouse even had a few flowers stitched at the edges. Not a single knife was visible, but knowing Raven I figured she had a good handful tucked away somewhere. Conium looked excited.
"A romantic picnic!" Conium crowed and spun me around. "I have not been on one in such a long time. Stain we must fix that!"
Raven blushed and tucked some hair behind an ear. "Shall we go on in and get this going? I hate being bait."
We all grinned and entered the hall. A small basket and jug of cider sat on a table beside Victor. He waved us over.
"Charles just brought this from the kitchen. Just the sort of thing a young couple needs after a couple of hard days working." He handed the basket to me and the cider to Raven. "Off with you two. Behave but have fun!" He linked arms with Stain and Conium. "I have some rare delicacies that we must try. They would be wasted on these younglings."
Pat had flown up to the top of the hall while Mophar jumped to my shoulder. He would travel with us. And that simple we were alone and ready to set the trap in motion. Raven put her arm through mine and tugged.
"Let's get out of here." She led me to the door and we were off.
Traveling the paths that Victor had outlined we spent a good bit of time walking. Finally we approached a well worn opening into the mountain. This was where the crystal cave was and where we hoped to catch a traitor.
"It is chilly, can we go on in?" Raven had slowly gotten closer and closer till she was practically hugging my arm. I did not mind at all.
"Sure, let's go in and set out the picnic." I led the way up to the opening. "I am actually quite hungry."
We entered the dark opening and traveled down the tunnel. We rounded a turn and discovered why it was called the crystal cave. Every wall was covered with a multitude of crystals in every color imaginable. The colors jumped and flowed from the light flashing through small openings. We both stood for a moment and took in the entire sight.
"I think we should set up over there." Raven pointed at a clear spot on the far side of the cave.
After setting the picnic items out we talked, waiting for something to happen. After a while we started discussing our past. Raven told me about being the only child to a poor family and getting a prize apprenticeship only to have it taken away by a rival. She discussed how she had been betrayed by someone who claimed to love her. Telling the stories of her past I slowly came to understand that this woman was so very complicated. The more I learned the more layers were added to her, making her more intriguing She learned to knife juggle as it was the only skill she could survive with for a period of time. She eventually met with Brooke and spent years traveling with her, learning the road.
I shared about growing up with my dad. The daily life and challenges we faced living in the same place for a long period of time. She seemed to enjoy my stories about my childhood and learning to be a forester. During all the story telling we slowly worked our way through the food.
"I think the plan failed." Mophar spoke up. He had grabbed some juice and sat off to the side. Ready to raise the alarm at a moments notice.
We both startled and then laughed, having forgotten that he was even around.
"We have been here for three hours and not a sign of anyone making a move towards you. Plus the others have searched and nobody is even coming close to this place." Mophar came closer and grabbed a fruit. "Shall we leave and perhaps regroup with the others?" He climbed up to my shoulder and motioned for me to gather up all the items from the picnic. While we packed Mophar ate his fruit. Just as we were leaving the cave Mophar stiffened up and fell off my shoulder. I barely caught him in time, grabbing his tail just before he struck the floor. He had fallen unconscious, poisoned somehow. Raven and I looked at each other and I threw up a full shield to protect us. I checked Mophar and found that he breathed. I sent out a flare spell, just as Stain told me to do if we had trouble.
Stain suddenly appeared just in front of us. "What has happened?" His magic was pulled around him like armor
"Mophar is poisoned!" Raven cried out.
Stain looked closely and motioned me to dismiss the shield. "An enemy poisoned your food to make you easy targets, not knowing that you both were immune. Our furry friend, however, has no such protection and has suffered the effects." He picked up Mophar and inspected him closely. "A mild poison, to cause the target to go to sleep for an extended period of time. Mophar will be fine, in a few days. Till then I think he will snore."
I took Mophar back and we climbed up the mountain a
nd back to the cabin. Victor, Conium, Pat, Cracklecord, and Fiosrach waited in the main room. Conium took Mophar and was obviously upset.
"That sneaky traitor poisoned the food! And he did it badly!" Conium seemed almost insulted professionally at the botched poison attempt.
"Where is Charles?" I asked.
Everyone looked down and away.
"No way Charles is the traitor!" I yelled. "He is the king's son! He is your protege! He is my friend!" I cried out this last one, heartbroken. Raven wrapped her arms around me, helping me to sit.
Stain kneeled before me, looking up at my face. "We do not know what to believe just yet. We do know that Charles was the one who provided the food. He was not in his spot during the trap attempt. And now he is missing." Stain seemed pained to have to admit all of this. "It does not look good. Until we know further we must act as if Charles is the traitor."
Chapter IV
Moments of Insanity
"We have looked everywhere, nobody can find Charles." Victor was frustrated.
The search for Charles had spread across the entire compound. Nobody had seen him since he handed over the food for the picnic. It was like he disappeared into thin air.
"Has anyone looked in his cabin?" I asked, "Perhaps there are some clues in there?"
Stain stood up. "Victor glanced, trying to find him. Let's go search it for clues like Ott suggests."
We all trudged across the compound. Charles had picked a cabin that was on the back side of the site. His nearest neighbor was over five buildings away. The building seemed to have collapsed at some point and the wall was patched up with multicolored rocks.
"Not the kind of place I imagined for a king's son." Raven said in an odd tone.
Victor nodded, "He moved out here about a year ago. Said he needed some more space and some quiet. I figured it did no harm to allow. He worked on the cabin himself for a whole month before moving. Nobody was really welcome, he liked his privacy." He opened the door and a strange, pungent odor wafted out.
Stain suddenly ran into the cabin and cast a light spell, lighting up the entire inside. His yell of frustration was full of anger. "No! No! No! It cannot be!"
A Deepening Knowledge (A Life of Magic) Page 18
