The Fourth Age Shadow Wars: Assassins (The Fourth Age: Shadow Wars Book 1)

by David Pauly

  'That is true,' replied Hilforas. 'Unfortunately, this tendency is not just confined to Men, but to Elves as well, particularly Ferox. Never fear; the scouts that go will speak with other scouts they encounter, and I should guess that within the next three months you should have answers to your questions, though whether those answers satisfy you or merely lead to other questions, I do not venture to predict.'

  'Three months,' muttered Alfrahil. 'Much may happen in three months.'

  'Yes, my Lord, but if there is any truth to your suspicions, then my people and the Dwarves must be diligent and look into the hidden crevices of their realms that otherwise might escape attention,' said Hilforas.

  With that, they walked back down to their guardsmen. Determined to distract any who would spread tales, Alfrahil said, 'Thank you, Hilforas, for listening to my thoughts pertaining to the duty shifts of our work details and patrols along the Malius road. I hope before much longer to see the progress that our people have made within that accursed vale.'

  'You are welcome for our meeting. Together our efforts shall succeed where one would fail,' said Hilforas with a small smile, and the Elven cavalry and the Eldoran escort cantered back to their meeting point. There Alfrahil thanked Hilforas again and returned to the inn to think about what he had been told.

  Alfrahil then walked into the cool back room and, sitting down upon the couch, slaked his thirst with a cool glass of rough Ackerlea wine. Waiting for a messenger from Mergin that he was sure was coming after the terrible events in Estellius, he had some light refreshments while considering Hilforas' tale. Deep in thought over the events of the day, he looked up only when a messenger entered the inn, telling him that Mergin said it was safe now to return to Titania, and that he had given specific instructions as to their pathway back into the city for the Prince's safety.

  'Well, it is high time I return to the city to conduct my investigation of all I have learned today,' thought Alfrahil. Then, speaking aloud: 'Caelus, let us depart.'

  Hastening to the men who were taking their ease in the shade of the inn, Caelus cried, 'Guards! Assemble and make ready to depart.'

  The men swiftly climbed into the saddle, forming a moving ring around the Prince and Caelus; an ancient custom adopted from the Kozaki. A moving ring of men, while providing instant mobilization in any direction, also provided a moving screen around the occupants of the ring so they could mount with safety and be protected so long as they did not want the ring to move too fast. They set out northward for the bridge, their hooves clattering along the flagstones of the road, until they reached the larger stones of the bridge apron. Swiftly crossing the river, the soldiers cantered back toward the city.

  CHAPTER ELEVEN: UNDERCURRENTS

  Alfrahil rode back with his escort into Titania just as the sun was setting behind the mountains. Taking the roundabout way required by the destruction caused by the ambushes, he didn't reach the Citadel until it was full dark. Dismissing his escort but for a Shadow, he left his horse at the messenger stables and was shown into a small, cramped meeting room adjacent to the main chamber of the astrology tower, where an ashen-faced Mergin rose to greet him. An old round wooden table with three chairs was in the center of the room, and oil lamps hung above their heads. The Shadow took his place just behind Alfrahil, quietly keeping watch. Only one servant was present, Aradar, the former desert scout who had comforted Alfrahil the night of the first ambush.

  'Hail, my Lord Prince, it is good to see you alive and well. We are closely investigating the events that nearly took your life today,' said Mergin. His haggard appearance was full of anger and frustration.

  'Mergin, what concerns me most at the moment is that your vaunted intelligence network failed again,' said Alfrahil heatedly. 'Is there anywhere in the realm where I am safe?'

  'My apologies, lord. I tendered my resignation to the King, but again he bids me continue as First Minister. Please, won't you have some food with me? Your father is resting quietly, and I for one am famished.'

  Alfrahil, despite his anger and fatigue, also realized he was hungry. 'Yes, Mergin, let us eat together. You can brief me on your investigation.'

  Mergin nodded to Aradar, who departed, returning in a moment with a cool crisp white wine favored by both men. Pouring the wine, Aradar said, 'My lord Mergin, we have a fish soup available as a first course with roasted beef and vegetables as the main plate and a light cake for desert. Will that be alright?'

  'Fine, servant, fine.' said Mergin dismissively. 'Just something filling and hot.'

  Alfrahil saw a flash of anger wash over Aradar's face, but he turned on his heel to fetch the soup.

  Pausing to marshal his thoughts while sipping his wine, Mergin said after a few moments, 'I am investigating as quickly and thoroughly as I can, but nearly everywhere I turn, the men who attack you are soon dead, and there are few leads to follow. Meanwhile, I have fresh news you should hear—so fresh, in fact, that even your father has not yet heard it. I have received a report from the Dwarven engineers you recruited to investigate the joy house, as well as a preliminary report from the Shadows assigned to investigate the ambushes.'

  Before Alfrahil could speak, Aradar brought in a large serving bowl fragrant with fish, accompanied by a servant Alfrahil did not know bearing smaller bowls and a basket of fresh bread. Eating their soup for several moments, both men felt the sharpness of their hunger fade. Alfrahil asked, 'Well, Mergin, what did they find?'

  'Books, my Lord. Primarily, the Dwarves found books, besides a fair cache of gold and silver,' said Mergin.

  'What did these books contain?' asked Alfrahil with mounting exasperation.

  'We are still going over them, my Lord, but it seems clear they hold records of many of the more important customers of the house,' said Mergin.

  'That is old news, Mergin. I myself discovered a ledger full of such names.'

  'Yes, Lord, but that ledger did not contain the name of your brother, Daerahil,' said Mergin.

  'Well, what of it? Since we are speaking in privacy, in my younger days, though I never ventured into the joy houses, I was no stranger to the courtesans of the city.' After witnessing his brother's debasement before their father, Alfrahil found himself inclined to be more forgiving of Daerahil than usual, though inwardly Mergin's news had distressed him.

  Mergin continued in the same bland tone. 'Well, Lord, it seems that he was a regular customer of a Shardan joy-girl called Hala, who was originally Zarthir's favorite plaything. Four months ago, your brother purchased her contract from the madam of the house, installing her in a private apartment so that she would be exclusively his. My reports tell me he is actually in love with the woman, if such disgusting tales can be believed.'

  Finishing his soup, Alfrahil glanced at Aradar, indicating he was finished, and said, 'Thank you, Aradar. Would you bring in the main dish now?'

  'Yes, my prince. Thank you for remembering my name.' Clearing Mergin's bowl, which was empty as well, Aradar left the room with his fellow servant.

  'Mergin, it has been an extremely long day, and you are not telling me anything that I don't know already. What does any of this have to do with the attacks on me?'

  'There were also financial documents in the books,' Mergin said, 'showing links between Minister Zarthir and Southmen suspected of fomenting revolt in Shardan. The financier of these dubious dealings is a banker named Fafnir, who has also invested your brother's money to see to the needs of the Shardan veterans.'

  Feeling the blood drain from his face, Alfrahil whispered, 'Is there any direct link between my brother's donations and this Fafnir's potentially treacherous finances?'

  'No, Lord, not yet. Many of the documents are written in a coded form of Shardan text unfamiliar to my experts. In time, perhaps, we will be able to decipher the actual meaning, but perhaps not. The link I can prove is tenuous, I admit; your brother invested with Fafnir to help his favorite charity, the veterans, and Fafnir gave money to Shardans that are the leading suspects in the organiz
ed rebellion against Eldora.'

  'So what you are telling me is that you have the definite possibility of a maybe that my brother is guilty of supporting these rebels. Worse, you expect me to believe that I was attacked with overwhelming force in a series of complicated ambushes within a few hours of raiding a random joy-house? This makes no sense, Mergin. But for my horse throwing a shoe, I would never have tracked Captain Dunner to the joy house, much less employed Dwarves to search it. There must be other reasons that I have been attacked.'

  Aradar returned at that moment, bearing a silver platter with crusted roast beef, new potatoes and asparagus, accompanied by a thick mushroom and cream sauce. His fellow servant brought in a folding table and a wicker basket containing plates, napkins and clean utensils. Both men attacked the food with gusto. A rich red wine was served in silver goblets, and Aradar withdrew to a place near the door. Eating rapidly, Alfrahil finished his meal and asked Mergin, 'What reports of the Shadows that you mentioned?'

  'Additional searches found a second Elven cloak, under which was a unique bow,' Mergin said. 'Much stronger and longer than even the bows of our Shadows, of a type unknown to the quartermaster captain for the Army. This was not a weapon that the Lesser Elves sell to outsiders. In fact, it may not be Elven at all, though its style is certainly Elven in appearance. They also found a small climbing ladder topped with another Platina-infused grappling hook.

  'Regarding weapons, my code breakers found a receipt from the joy house listing special Elf weapons, a Dwarf ladder, and other items. This receipt appears to have your brother's signature scrawled across the bottom of it. Before you say it, yes, this sort of circumstantial evidence has led to the imprisonment, trial, and execution of others over the years. Guilt by association, I agree, but wise men keep clear of such entanglements.'

  'Yes,' said Alfrahil, 'wise men, but we all know that my brother is not wise. For all we know, he is completely innocent except for bad taste in wenches and companions. Please, for my sake and for my brother's, do not add any undue emphasis about what you have discovered. I know you and Daerahil are less than friends, but if he is innocent, inflaming the King against him will serve no purpose. If he is guilty, then he shall reveal himself in more obvious ways and can then be dealt with justly.'

  'Lord, I must interpret this information as I see fit, and I for one am not nearly so trusting of your brother as you are. As far as I am concerned, he is a traitor to Eldora and its wise policies simply by opposing them in thought, let alone in deed. In this, you and I will have to agree to disagree,' said Mergin.

  A flash of anger crossed Alfrahil's face as he said, 'Do not presume to lecture me, old man, for while I count you as one of my friends and trusted advisors, and value you as my father's closest counselor, it is my brother of whom we are speaking. Do not do anything that will make you regret your actions at a later date.'

  Drawing closer, Mergin asked, 'Are you threatening me, my Lord? For that would be most unwise.'

  'No, I am not threatening you,' replied Alfrahil with an uncharacteristically firm voice. 'I am instead promising you that if your aim with verbal slings and arrows is not very precise, then you shall have me to answer to either now or later, when my father has less need of you. My brother may be reckless and careless, but I believe he loves both me and my father still. More important, I believe he loves Eldora.'

  'Very well, Lord, I will be extraordinarily careful, but judging from your father's mood recently where your brother is concerned, little emphasis will be needed to get him to see the meaning behind this information.' said Mergin falsely placating the prince.

  Alfrahil glared at Mergin, feeling that the man had overstepped his bounds but not quite knowing what to do about it. Mergin met his gaze with what seemed to Alfrahil a look of smug confidence. Then, before Alfrahil could speak, Mergin lowered his eyes.

  'Come, Lord,' he said. 'I mean your brother no harm in this matter unless his behavior is indeed treasonous, and only your father can make that decision. If Daerahil is found guilty of treason or sedition, then I shall have the task of designing an appropriate punishment for him and his companions in crime. Such is my duty as First Minister, as even you must admit.'

  'Fair enough,' said Alfrahil warily, 'so long as I have made my point. There is an alternative, however, Mergin.'

  'What might that be?'

  'Have you considered that this entire matter is a foreign-based conspiracy? The Elf weapons, Dwarf tools, and foreign money filtered through this Fafnir person all suggest such an explanation. Please tell me that you are investigating this avenue as well.'

  'I am, Lord. Rest assured that regardless of who is involved in this plot, I will get to the bottom of it,' said Mergin. 'I will follow the path of guilt wherever it leads. But at the same time, I will not allow personal feelings to blind me to innocence. Now, if you will excuse me, my lord, I must attend to the latest messages I suspect are waiting for me. The King left instructions to be awakened in two hours. Please get some rest until then.'

  Alfrahil returned to his temporary quarters in the tower. There, as he sipped a glass of wine and nibbled an apple, Alfrahil felt the fatigue of the last several days wash over him. He lay down and dozed until he was gently shaken awake by Aradar, escorted by a Shadow. The two men conducted him to the main chamber of the astrology tower, where the king was waiting.

  'Shocking,' said Creon, with absolute disbelief filling his face, 'absolutely shocking! That our own troops would attempt to kill you, my son—it is nearly beyond belief!'

  'Well, Father, we are not yet certain that the men responsible were actually Eldoran. They may have been Shardans or outcasts that smuggled themselves into position.'

  'No, my son. Lord Mergin's preliminary report from the army arrived an hour ago and clearly states that these men were exactly who they say they were: veterans of the Shardan campaigns. Veterans, moreover, who served under your brother's command and had been personally commended by him for valor on several occasions. The captain in charge of the ballista claims the four men who attacked you had transfer orders signed by your brother appointing them to operate ballistae at Estellius.'

  'Why did they not go up the usual chain of command, through the Artillery Commander?' asked a perplexed Alfrahil.

  'They claim that they were part of your brother's personal guard in Shardan and that they visited him at his command on the Out-Walls.'

  'Does my brother confirm their stories?'

  'Yes,' replied Mergin instead of the King, 'but that means little if he is trying to deceive us and using these men to do so.'

  'Is there any evidence that he is being deceptive, Mergin?' asked Alfrahil.

  'No, my Lord. It may be coincidence that on the very day you are assaulted again, and by Shardan veterans formerly under your brother's command, your brother should receive several visits from other Shardan veterans formerly under his command. But I, for one, do not believe in coincidences.'

  'Father, you probed his mind. Did you find any evidence of deceit?'

  Pausing for a moment, Creon was forced to admit, 'No, my son, but your brother's mind is incredibly strong, nearly as strong as mine; I could not search all of the nooks and crannies in his head, or he would have been left a drooling idiot. He may have been able to keep the orders for his men secret from me.'

  'Before we focus on my brother, Lord Mergin, how many men knew where I was going on this last visit?' asked Alfrahil.

  'Your journey to Estellius was originally known only to the Security Council, but word of your quick inspection of the river defenses was available to some Council Ministers and to Bufus, Over Commander of Estellius. It would seem, however, that these assassins were already in place, waiting for their opportunity. The plot against you seems more and more complex and layered the deeper we dig through the people and events surrounding you. I can trust no one in this city completely besides the three of us to investigate this matter. It will be slow going even with my Shadows and messenger corps aiding us.'<
br />
  'Are there any people outside the city that we can trust, Mergin?' asked Creon.

  'No, lord,' began Mergin, but he was interrupted by Alfrahil.

  'There are others you can trust, Father.' And Alfrahil summarized his conversations with Golbur, Cerlon, Caelus, and Hilforas.

  'Renegade Dwarves, foreign money, corruption at the highest levels in Titania, and the possible involvement of “him,”' raged Creon. 'Whom do you trust implicitly, son?'

  'Implicitly, no one, but none of them has any ties to anyone who would wish me harm, Cerlon least of all,' said Alfrahil. 'Having him work with the other Out-Captains to ascertain their loyalties and the state of the realm would be prudent. He seemed to possess a sad lament about his person, as if the state of the realm was really troubling to him.'

  'Indeed,' replied Mergin. 'Well, I will send Cerlon a discreet message to begin circulating amongst the other Outlier Captains. Publicly, I will have him reprimanded for allowing his men to be used by the merchants. Privately I shall increase his salary and award him a small commendation for loyalty to the realm, with further increases and awards to follow with proven success. This should allow the pretense of wounded feelings to provide him with ample cover to work, while providing a reward for his honesty and motivation for future effort.'

  Shaking his head at Mergin's ability to think two steps ahead of most men, Alfrahil stated, 'Golbur should also be consulted.'

  'Are Dwarves really necessary?' asked Creon. 'I would prefer to keep this matter solely amongst Men, and as few of them as possible.'

  'Sire, after the madam was taken away, I briefly searched her room and found nothing, which led me to believe that anything useful must be cunningly hidden,' replied Alfrahil. 'The Dwarven engineers found the documents we are not trying to decipher; it is unlikely that our engineers would have found them. Besides, the Dwarven engineers have no interest in the affairs of our tawdry citizens; they only wish to trade their goods and serve those who can afford their services. We will also need their help in determining how the Bridge was destroyed, and how and when it can be repaired. Lord Golbur will favor us with Dwarven scouts who, alongside Elves, will proceed to the Dwarven and Elven realms to ask for news and any hints about these matters that may exist outside of Eldora. With the evidence of corruption seemingly everywhere, we must rely upon those who are known to be above reproach. Frankly, we need any trustworthy help we can get.'