Ascendant

by Craig Alanson

  “I know how to farm, sir, raise crops, and I’m good with animals. Someday, I suppose, I would like land of my own.”

  “Hmmm.” Paedris rubbed his beard while he thought. “Koren, when I agreed to take the position here as court wizard, I didn’t only get fancy robes and an awkward old tower to live in. There is a grant of land that comes with it, the land was supposed to be a country escape for me. I’ve only been to see my land once or twice, it’s about two days' ride to the north, but it's nice enough. The family down the road farms my land, and we split the money from sale of the crops. If you like, in a few years, you could live there, and raise crops for me. I think I remember there is a small house, and a barn.” Paedris had a flash of inspiration. “In fact, I will make a bargain with you. If you remain here as my servant, until your sixteenth birthday, then I will give a quarter of my land to you.”

  “Give me, sir?” Koren gaped at the wizard.

  “I certainly have no need for it, I don’t know the first thing about farming.”

  “My own land.” Koren said in a whisper.

  “It’s not much, mind you, a quarter of the land is only about fifty acres.”

  “Fifty acres?!”

  Paedris was taken aback. “Is that too small for a farm?”

  “No!” Fifty acres was more land than his family had owned! Now Koren had to sit down, his shaky legs could not support him. “No, it’s very generous, sir. Fifty acres.”

  “Here, drink this, you look pale.” While Koren gratefully drank the coffee, Paedris pondered how to get out of the sticky mess he’d talked himself into. Technically, he didn’t own the land he had just promised to give to Koren. The Trehaymes owned it, the land was for Paedris to use while he served as the court wizard, but he didn’t own it. Perhaps Paedris could convince Carlana to give the land to Koren, as a well-deserved reward for his service to Tarador? A quiet grant of land would not likely attract the enemy’s attention to Koren. And if Carlana did not agree, Paedris himself would buy land for Koren, the wizard had enough money of his own. Raising the money would require selling some of his own land in Estada, perhaps he should write to his nephew there? Yes, the more Paedris thought, the more he liked the idea of Koren being away from the castle, away from prying eyes, while Paedris trained him in wizardry. The way the boy’s power was growing, by the time Koren was sixteen, there would be no way Paedris could hide the truth from him any longer. “Huh?” Paedris realized Koren has been saying something.

  “Sir, how can I ever thank you?”

  “Bah!” The wizard waved his hand. “It is the least I could do, considering all you have done for Tarador. Now, finish your breakfast, Captain Raddick wants us packed and ready to ride in half a glass.”

  By the time Ariana was able to ask Kyre about why Koren had been with the Falco’s in the Regency Council meeting, her anger had only grown. She'd been forced to wait for the end of the Council meetings, then the three days of the Cornerstone Festival, then Kyre had joined other royal boys in a hunting expedition that had lasted six whole days! She had been miserable during the Cornerstone Festival, feeling nauseous when people praised her for finding that fabled lost object. She had practiced what she would say to the Falco boy, clever words to trap him in the lies he would inevitably tell. She was determined to get the truth out of Kyre Falco.

  Kyre was feeling particularly good that day, the hunting expedition had been fun, with far more racing about across the countryside on horseback and general tomfoolery than hunting, a chance for young royals to get away from the formality of the royal castle, showing off, pretending they were 'roughing it' when all their meals were cooked for them, and they slept every night in comfortable lodges or in large, fancy tents that were set up by servants. One night, Kyre had insisted that one of his older servants, who was not feeling well and suffered especially from the still-cold nights, sleep in Kyre's tent, while Kyre put his bedroll under the simple tarp his guards shared. Other royal boys laughed at him when he helped cook breakfast and brought food to his ill servant, then helped take down and pack away the tents, but Kyre didn't mind their jeers. His servants worked hard for him, and he trusted his guards with his life. Such loyalty deserved to be rewarded, rather than the disdain and abuse many royals gave to the common-born people who served them. Kyre wished his father understood that; it took so little effort to make common people happy, they were grateful for even simple gestures from royalty. Treating people fairly, and with dignity, not only ensured their loyalty, it felt good. Kyre's father felt that any familiarity with servants would lead only to shirking of duty and, eventually, questioning of orders, and disobedience. It is far more proper, Regin Falco advised, for servants to fear their masters, lest they assume undeserved equality with their royal betters. Kyre Falco wondered if his father considered whether, in case of a dire threat, who would be more reliable; people who served only out of fear, or those served from a sense of loyalty? Loyalty had to work both ways.

  So, Kyre was feeling good, after having earned his father's grudging pleasure for Kyre successfully getting Koren to leave the castle for several months at least, after enjoying a smashingly good time at the Cornerstone festival, and coming back tired but happy from the hunting expedition. And now being called to an audience with the crown princess, in her private chambers! Kyre had asked Niles Forne what the princess wanted, but his advisor had no idea, having returned to the castle only a few hours before the invitation from the princess arrived. Forne had been frantic, calling in all his informants, but no one had anything useful to report. The princess had been tired after the festival, and kept mostly to herself, receiving few visitors other than for her official duties, which didn't give Forne any clue as to why Kyre had been invited to the palace. All Forne was able to do was to get Kyre properly dressed, and send him on his way.

  Thus it was that Kyre had no idea what Ariana wanted to talk about, when he was announced at the door to her private chambers in the palace. He had no idea, but he was hopeful. He had done well in the games before the Cornerstone festival, winning several sparring contests, and a long horse race. Perhaps he had caught the eye of the princess? Ariana was in her study, a small but pleasant room with a large window which gave a view out over the gardens. "Your Highness," he said as he bowed deeply to the princess, then he turned and gave a short bow to her maid. "Mistress Hodgins," he addressed Nurelka, "I have heard that you like pine honey, please accept this jar I bought in the Wendurn hills."

  "I," Nurelka didn't know what to do, being taken aback by Kyre's gesture. Honey from the pine forest in the Wendurn hills was the best in the land, and her favorite. She looked to Ariana for guidance, the princess seemed to be as surprised as Nurelka was. Ariana flicked her wrist in a gesture intended to be unseen by Kyre Falco, Nurelka accepted the jar of honey, curtsied and responded properly "Thank you, your Grace," and retreated to the far corner of the room.

  Kyre's gesture had thrown Ariana off, and that irritated her. Instead of beginning with the usual meaningless niceties, she went right to the question she wanted to ask. "Why was Koren Bladewell sitting with the Falco’s?"

  It was Kyre's turn to be taken aback. Koren Bladewell had been the last thing on his mind, the boy was gone, and would be away for months, perhaps the entire summer. He lamely slipped into a lie. "I thought he would enjoy it, seeing everyone sitting around arguing. I wanted to get him away from his chores for an afternoon."

  "You invited Koren to be nice, because you are such close friends?" Ariana asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

  "We are friends." Although Koren deserved a better friend than Kyre.

  "You, Kyre Falco, friends with a common servant, a boy who doesn't even have a family? I think anyone would find that hard to believe."

  "His is my friend." Or he thinks he is, Kyre thought guiltily. "He's the only person I know who doesn't want something from me. When Koren goes out riding with me, it's because he enjoys being outside the castle walls on his horse, and not because he want
s a favor from me or my family." Kyre spoke quickly because it was the truth, he didn't need to wait while he thought up a good lie. "Everything else around here is politics," he looked the princess directly in the eye as he spoke, "and I grow sick of it sometimes."

  "A Falco who doesn't enjoy the game of scheming for power? Are you quite certain you are Kyre Falco?"

  Kyre was genuinely hurt. "You don't know me at all." He responded hotly, forgetting he was speaking to the crown princess. "You know what your family thinks of my family, the history of people long dead. How would you like it if people judged you only by what they think of your mother?"

  Ariana knew she would not like that at all. "I am to believe that you invited Koren to sit with you, out of your well-known kindness to the common people? Why did your father's lap dog Duke Bargann object?"

  Kyre shrugged. He'd repeated the lie enough times now that he almost half believed it. "Bargann sometimes gets a burr under his saddle, and needs to show he's not beholden to my father. They've had a dispute going since the beginning of the winter, I don't know what it's about," he said truthfully, even though he was certain the dispute had nothing to do with Koren Bladewell. Niles Forne had arranged for Duke Bargann to object to Koren being in the Regency Council meeting, and Bargann had played his part, likely hoping this small favor would help gain leverage in his dispute with the Falco’s. Except apparently now that favor, the whole plan, had backfired on the Falco’s, earned the ire of the crown princess. Kyre's father was not going to be pleased about this. Impulsively, Kyre asked "Is that why Koren left before the Cornerstone festival?" Kyre couldn't remember now whether Koren had left the same day he'd been ejected from the Regency Council, or shortly after. It hadn't seemed important at the time, and Kyre had been very busy.

  "No," Ariana said with a haughty toss of her head, to cover her own frustration at mishandling the conversation. Kyre's gift to Nurelka had thrown Ariana completely off her plan; all her carefully crafted questions, to steer the Falco heir into revealing the truth, had vanished when she amateurishly blurted out the question on her mind. Ariana's mother was not going to be pleased about this. "Lord Salva has business in Hoffsta, which you would know if you'd been paying attention during the discussions, he left as soon as Captain Raddick had his troops ready."

  Kyre appeared to take a moment to consider Ariana's announcement. He spoke slowly and formally, while his mind raced to think. "My mistake, your Highness, I did not remember. I spoke to Koren after the Regency Council meeting, to apologize for any embarrassment caused to him, and Koren didn't mention that he was planning to leave the castle." Kyre was telling the truth, Koren had been upset, but why hadn't he said anything about going to Hoffsta? Had Koren suspected that Kyre set him up? "Will that be all, your Highness?" Kyre needed to talk to Fore about this terrible development, figure out a way to make certain none of the blame came back to Kyre.

  Ariana, more disgusted with herself than with Kyre Falco, simply nodded, her cheeks red with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. She was not going to let the matter drop, but she needed to be more subtle in the future.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Koren’s head was still spinning while they rode that morning. He had plenty of time to think, because Captain Raddick was not pressing his men to ride fast that morning, they only had five leagues to go, before stopping in a village for the middle of the day. Paedris noticed that his servant was distracted. “Ah, I see you have rejoined us, Koren.”

  Koren’s face grew red with embarrassment. “Yes, sir. I was thinking on something. Nothing important.”

  “Now that you’ve thunk,” Paedris said with a twinkle in his eye, “I want you to do a favor for me. When we get to the village of Longshire, ride ahead with Raddick, and see if they have a room at the inn. After sleeping on a cot these last three weeks, my back could use a real bed for the night.”

  “I thought we were only stopping here for the afternoon, sir?”

  Paedris chuckled. “That is Captain Raddick’s plan. But, as I’m sure there will be a child, or a prize cow, or a chicken, that needs to be healed, why, it wouldn’t be right for the court wizard to ignore the needy. Could keep us here until well after dark.”

  “Oh, yes, sir.” Koren winked. “Certainly, sir.”

  It was a fine day, the sky clear, the air fresh and warming, the late morning sun drying the last of the dew that was still clinging to the underside of fence rails alongside the road. The air smelled like fresh, clean earth, the homey scent of plowed fields where seeds had only just begun to sprout. There were only a few wispy clouds on the horizon to the south, where Paedris said was the sea which formed Tarador’s southern border. The Sea! Koren very much wanted to see that great body of water, everyone who had seen it said he would be amazed. The biggest body of water Koren had ever seen was a lake, and that not a large one, barely more than a pond. He had seen paintings of the sea, and of the great ships with their towering white sails. It was hard to imagine a ship, as big as a barn, moving across the water. Up ahead of him, across the fields and around a bend in the road, he could see a barn, and beyond that, the roofs of a village.

  It was pleasant to be riding with the army, alongside the wizard, under a clear blue sky. He had a fine horse, a full belly, and not a care in the world at the moment. Here, it didn’t matter whether Dukes thought he belonged, or whether maids remembered his name, or whether a fickle princess liked for him to be around that day, or not. Here, he only had to ride, and provide for the wizard’s needs and comforts, and keep out of trouble. Koren was thoroughly enjoying himself, out in the countryside where he belonged, instead of behind the grim stone walls of a castle. The country they rode through reminded him of Crickdon; low, gently rolling hills, open farm fields where the crops were beginning to come out of the ground and rise toward the sky, neatly fenced pastures with sheep-

  Pastures with sheep.

  Just sheep.

  No people.

  Koren rose from the saddle, looking all around, front and back. He sat back down, opened his mouth to speak, closed it, opened it, and closed it again. He stared at the sheep, then at the buildings of the village ahead, unsure of himself.

  His servant’s odd behavior had not escaped the attention of the wizard. Had not escaped the attention, nor annoyance, of the wizard, who was trying to concentrate. “Koren, if you have something to say, please say it, and stop fidgeting.”

  “Sir, it’s the sheep.”

  “Eh? What about them?” They looked like ordinary sheep to Paedris.

  “They’re alone. No shepherd, not even a dog. No farmer would leave his sheep alone like that, sir, they’re too valuable. And too stupid.”

  “Uh,” Paedris knew very little, zero actually, about the care and raising of sheep, “maybe the shepherd is-“

  Koren continued excitedly, keeping his voice low. “And the village ahead, Longshire. Look, sir, see? There’s no smoke coming from any of the chimneys. That big white building must be an inn, or a tavern. The kitchen there should have a cooking fire, for the noonday meal.” Koren closed his eyes. “And, and, sir, I have a feeling like we’re being watched.”

  Paedris shaded his eyes with a hand, and peered ahead at the cluster of buildings that made up the small village of Longshire. Koren was correct, none of the chimneys had smoke coming from them. The wizard bit his lip while he thought. “I don’t see anyone in these fields. That is odd, isn’t it?”

  “Sir, now that I think about it, I don’t remember seeing anyone for the past several leagues we've ridden. Not since we passed by that farm where the man was repairing the roof of his barn.” Koren had waved to the man, who had paused in his work to wave back. “Sorry I’ve been so wooly-headed this morning.”

  Paedris closed his eyes tightly in concentration. “I don’t sense anything.”

  “Then that’s good, right, sir?”

  “You don’t understand. I can’t sense anything. I fear some other wizard is in the area, and has cast a spell to dampen
my senses. Damn it!” Paedris cursed under his breath, the first time Koren had ever heard him curse. “We’ve all been wooly-headed this morning. Koren, I want you to make your way up to Captain Raddick, and tell him I think we are being watched. I know this area well, just beyond the village there is a crossroads which leads to a bridge, the only bridge across the river for several leagues. Tell Raddick that I advise him to make straight through the village, and get across that bridge, if trouble strikes. Go now, but don’t ride too quickly, if there are eyes watching us, I don’t want to alert them yet.”

  “Yes, my lord.” Koren tugged back on the reins, let Thunderbolt fall behind the wizard’s horse, crossed to the other side of the army column, then he nudged Thunderbolt into a slow trot, and crouched down in the saddle. As he passed by troops, he greeted them laughing and joking, trying to act casually. He itched at the delay, for he and Paedris had been riding at the rear of the column, just ahead of the supply wagons. He slowed Thunderbolt to a walk as he finally approached the front of the column, where Captain Raddick rode.

  Koren saluted, his right hand to his temple, although he was not sure a servant, and not a proper soldier, was supposed to use that greeting. During the entire journey, Koren had never spoken to Raddick, he had dealt with Raddick’s lieutenants instead. “Sir? Captain Raddick?”

  Raddick had been discussing something with one of his lieutenants, and was annoyed by the interruption. “Yes? Boy, I’m busy. I’ll talk to you later.”