“What was he doing?” Melissa asked.
“Weren’t doing much of anything, just saw them go walking by. Not like I talked to him or anything.” He shifted his weight from one foot to another.
“I don’t suppose by any chance you would know where he was staying?”
“Don’t your sort stay with the baron?”
“Normally, but my associate appears to be a bit reluctant to accept the baron’s generous accommodations.”
“Is he a friend of yours?”
“I can truthfully say I have never met him, but I am most eager to make his acquaintance.” She bowed her head in a sign of appreciation. “I thank you for your help, and wish you the blessings of Unity, Justice, and Peace.”
“Happy to help.” He stepped back from her and walked away as quickly as he could without breaking into a run.
Melissa Cornwall continued down the street at a deliberate and casual pace. She forced herself to smile and maintain a pleasant air.
Inside she seethed!
That man was the twelfth person to report seeing Waldo Rabbit and his so called wife. None of them had known their names, but it was obvious who they were. When she had begun asking around this morning she honestly hadn’t expected to find his trail. Melissa had expected him to keep a low profile, or to be fleeing to the nearest border. The last thing she had anticipated was for him to flaunt himself in the middle of a city.
“Arrogant,” she muttered beneath her breath. To believe he could commit crimes in the order’s robes and not suffer the punishment for it. How could anyone be that foolish?
That so many folk had seen him also meant John Varlos had lied to her. There was no way he would be ignorant of something that appeared to be common knowledge in this city. She would never be able to call him on it. He would claim to be just a merchant and to have been too busy with his trade to have heard. It was another sign that he was no friend to her or the order.
He might need to be removed, she thought.
That was a problem that could wait though. Her immediate concern was to track down where this deserter was hiding. While many had seen him out and about, no one appeared to know where he resided. She had already visited all the Inns near the palace. Every one of them claimed to be unaware. Melissa was slowly expanding her search in hopes of finding anyone who knew where he was staying. She was sure that if he heard a true White Mage was in the city he would try to escape. That could not be allowed; she had to find him before he decided to leave.
XXX
Five hours had passed since noon and Waldo was ready to admit defeat, at least for today. Outside the shadows would be growing long. Sunset would be in about an hour and a half. He’d spent the entire time sitting in a corner table expecting the merchant’s arrival at any time. Waldo had not eaten or moved from his seat. He had been determined to be ready the instant she arrived. Now he was finally ready to admit she was not coming. Even if she did show up they might not have enough time to run to Baden Hill, purchase the ogre, and make it out the West Gate before the sun set. Being so near Middleton as the night began would be an invitation for his grandfather to attack them. It had been such a simple plan Waldo honestly hadn’t expected anything to go wrong.
Did she not receive Alice’s message or did she just ignore it? Waldo wondered.
The common room was about four fifths empty. It would not fill up until the sun went down and the work day ended. Alice came over to his table. “You haven’t eaten anything all day darling. Do you want a bowl of cabbage stew and some ale?”
“Yes, why not. I will eat and go back up to my room. I suppose we will just have to try and do this again tomorrow.”
Alice was slowly ringing her hands. “I’m sorry. I should have gone myself to make sure she knew you wanted to see her. I promise to find out where she lives and go see her in person. I will drag her here if I need to.”
Waldo could pick up the guilt she was feeling though their bond.
“It’s just fine. After all the time we have spent here one more day won’t make a difference. You’ve been wonderful Alice, without you I wouldn’t even be here.”
He saw her cheeks tinge and felt a surge of happiness from her.
“I am sure we will be able to leave tomorrow.”
He nodded. “Yes, I am sure as well.”
“I’ll get you that stew.”
He watched her hurry off to the kitchen.
It was one more failure in a long string of them. He had set out determined to prove himself a great Dark Mage. Waldo had wanted to prove the council wrong and earn his mother’s respect. Instead he had almost been drowned by a pack of commoners, had a disobedient familiar, was dressed in white, had just barely escaped having his heart eaten, had wasted an entire week searching for his second monster, and had now wasted an entire day waiting on an old merchant woman. And if all that were not enough he had fallen in love with his familiar.
“What a pathetic master I am.”
Yet I am supposed to get a third monster, defeat a knight, and somehow acquire a dragon’s egg. How do I do all that when I can’t even get Alice to obey me or force a merchant to sell me her ogre?
Sitting there at the table he felt defeated. Everything he had tried to do since starting on this quest had either ended in disaster or been far harder than he’d ever expected. Maybe… maybe they had all been right. Maybe he really was just an incompetent. Maybe he was as weak as they all said. What sort of fool messes up the binding spell after studying it for weeks? Would any competent mage get himself thrown off a bridge by a bunch of peasants? If he had any real strength at all would he be sitting here, alone and hungry, after wasting hours waiting on a mere merchant?
Waldo tried to imagine any of his brothers or sisters being in a similar situation.
It would never have happened. Every one of them had possessed real power. They would have slaughtered that crowd of commoners at the bridge. They wouldn’t have screwed up the contract. None of them would have condescended to actually negotiate with a lowly merchant. Carin would have been compelled to hand over what they wanted or died.
Each of them had been a true Dark Mage.
So what am I?
For a moment, he imagined just giving up on this insane quest. Even if he muddled through somehow, finally got the ogre, acquired the third Great Monster, and used them to defeat a knight. What were the odds of someone like him obtaining a dragon’s egg? He was more likely to suddenly sprout wings and hooves.
Waldo could just give up and go into exile. That was what everyone on the council, except his mother, expected him to do. He could go with Alice to some country very far away and start a new life. Magic was rare and much prized nearly everywhere. Even an inept mage like him would be able to make a good living. He could buy some property, have a nice house with servants, and settle down to a pleasant life with Alice.
It was very easy to imagine. A life of luxury with a beautiful succubus. Surely that was something most men dreamed of. He could have it if he wanted. All it really required was for him to give up on this hopeless quest.
To accept never going home again.
To accept being the disgrace and failure people had always considered him.
To accept knowing he brought his mother shame.
His fingernails dug into the wooden table as he imagined the disappointment in his mother’s eyes. “I would rather die.”
I’ll continue this for as long as I am alive, no matter how hard it is. Even if it is impossible, the very least I owe her is to die trying. I would sooner die as Waldo Corpselover, than to truly become Waldo Rabbit.
XXX
Alice came out of the kitchen with a big bowl of cabbage stew and a large chunk of brown bread. She ducked behind the bar just long enough to draw a tankard of ale.
“Here you go darling,” she set everything down in front of him. “I know you’re hungry so I had the cook load you up.”
The stew did look thicker than usual. “I will g
o back upstairs as soon as I eat.”
Waldo picked up his wooden spoon and was about to dig in, when the door to the Inn opened. A grandmother in a simple, but well-tailored, burgundy and white dress entered. Waldo’s hand stopped half way to his mouth.
“Now? She comes now?”
Alice glanced at him. “But isn’t this good darling?”
“It is about an hour and a half until the gates shut.”
“That’s enough time isn’t it?”
“Yes, if the potion works the way it’s supposed to, and if she agrees right away. We have just enough time.”
The few other patrons paid Carin no special mind. As soon as she spotted Waldo she began walking stiffly to his table.
Even a normal love potion did not last for more than a night, and very often the victim would realize what had been done to her. He had no idea if his pseudo mix would even work or how well. Waldo wanted to be far away when it wore off. If she drank it and it was slow acting, or she insisted on delaying things, he could find himself trapped in the city until the gates opened again come sunrise. That would be bad.
On the other hand, if he chose not to give it to her now this meeting would surely end in failure. Would she agree to meet him here again? What if she refused to see him, or insisted they meet somewhere else? How much longer might he be trapped in this city? Long enough for his grandfather to lose patience and come try to find him?
Either choice had its risks.
“Go and bring her a cup of that special wine.”
“Yes dear.” Alice hurried to the bar, sending Carin a bow deep enough for the Crown Prince.
Carin rewarded this with a slight nod. She then came to a halt five feet from Waldo’s table. She stood there ram rod straight with her arms rigid against her sides. “I apologize for disturbing your dinner.”
“Well you wouldn’t have if you had come when I asked.”
Her eyes narrowed, and she seemed to arch her back like an angry cat.
“Your request came as a surprise, and I had other obligations. I do so hope you can forgive me for not dropping everything and rushing to meet you as you wanted.”
“Well, I suppose I can forgive you.”
The edges of Carin’s lips drew back and her arms trembled ever so slightly.
Waldo motioned to the empty chair across from him. “Please take a seat and we can begin.”
She remained where she was. “A gentleman would rise and pull the chair out for a woman he has asked to meet with him.”
How arrogant, Waldo thought. It was amazing that someone so far beneath him would be so presumptuous. In a truly civilized country she would have given a far more sincere apology, and been properly respectful. He was painfully aware though that time was pressing. If a few empty courtesies would hurry things along he would grin and endure them. This is what I get for being weak and needing to bargain with people.
“Of course,” Waldo rose smoothly to his feet. He pulled the chair well out from the table.
Carin remained standing for a moment. She glanced at the chair and back at him.
“Was there something else?” Waldo asked, trying to keep his impatience from showing.
“Why did you ask me to meet you here, in this place?”
“This is where I am staying, it was convenient for me.”
“Do you always just do what is easiest?”
“Yes, doesn’t everyone?”
Carin shook her head slightly and Waldo saw the fat beneath her chin wobble and wibble. “You aren’t much for subtlety are you?”
“It is not one of my strong points. My mother always said I needed to be more deceptive.”
Carin pursed her lips and looked uncertain. At last she finally sat down.
As soon as she was seated Waldo hurried back around to his own chair. “I hope we can come to an agreement quickly. I am eager to leave Middleton and would like to be on my way tonight.”
“Tonight? You are in quite a rush. Normally it takes a few days or weeks to arrange things.”
“I hope to move things along a little faster than that.”
“Trying to hurry me along like this is very poor form.” Carin told him. “Some might call it rude.”
“I don’t care if it’s rude so long as I get what I want.”
“Yes,” Carin said. “I have heard it said that White Mages will do most anything to get what they want. Though usually they do manage to remain polite.” Carin put both hands on the table and leaned forward. “All right, we’ll just dispense with all the formalities and niceties. If you want to leave town so badly I won’t stand in your way. We can go to Baden Hill and you can take possession of your ogre. The price is still twelve ducats.”
“I was hoping we could negotiate the price down a bit.”
Carin’s head shook. “Twelve is already a bargain and much less than I would normally ever agree to.”
Alice came over with a tray with a single iron goblet. She deftly placed it before Carin. “With my husband’s compliments.” Alice bowed her head and retreated back to the bar.
“What’s this?”
“It’s an Illsyrian Red,” Waldo told her with a hint of pride. “It wasn’t easy to find, but please accept it as a small sign of my appreciation for your coming here to meet me.”
Now we see.
With one hand Carin slid the goblet away. “I hate red wine, I only ever drink gold.”
Waldo felt his stomach do a slow turn. “Won’t you at least have a sip? It’s Illsyrian, the finest wine in all the Shattered Lands.”
“That’s a matter of opinion. Personally I prefer Companian Golds. Illsyrian wines are too strong and sweet for my taste.”
“Could you just give it a try? Since I went to the trouble of acquiring it just for you. Just one swallow, as a courtesy.”
“If this were a normal meeting I would drink and praise it, even as it set fire to my throat and burned in my belly. Since you have made it clear though that you are in a hurry to be done with it I will not bother to pretend.”
The Dark Powers mock me.
He wondered if anyone would care if he suddenly got up and tried to force it down her throat. It had been such a simple plan. Yet it had gone wrong from the very start, it turned out to be just another failure.
Waldo looked hard across the table at this plain, blunt merchant woman. What would she do if he simply threatened her? Commoners were always ignorant of just how magic worked, and the folk in this barbarous land were even more ill-informed than the low people back in Alteroth. Waldo knew he didn’t exactly have a threatening demeanor, but he was a mage. If he demanded she give him the ogre or else be cursed how would she react? Would she be terrified or would she be insulted and call his bluff? Opening threatening someone was a bit risky, but he was considering it.
“Well then,” Carin said. “Will you pay me my twelve ducats so we can be done?”
Waldo was not sure how to answer. As he opened his mouth he sensed something.
A powerful aura.
A being with great magical ability was approaching.
Waldo turned his face to the door.
“Is something wrong?” Carin looked in the same direction to see nothing out of the ordinary.
“I am afraid you will need to give me a moment.” Waldo spoke without turning his gaze back to her. “Could you please go wait by the bar?”
Carin frowned. “What are you talking about?”
From behind the bar Alice glanced at Waldo and then at the door. She could sense his sudden alarm through their bond, but could not guess the cause of it.
Just then the door to the Inn opened. In stepped a woman in white robes. Clutched in her right hand was a wand.
“I am afraid I have to deal with someone else first.” Sliding his hand into one of the many pockets of his robe he took hold of his own wand.
Chapter 44
Bet You Didn’t See That Coming
Everyone in the common room stopped to look at the new
arrival. No one did anything more than that though. They all went back to enjoying their meals. Apparently, having had a white wizard staying for over a week had accustomed them to the presence of a magic user.
Carin was not quite so familiar.
She quickly pushed back from the table and got up to her feet. “It seems this was a bad time. I certainly do not want to come between two White Mages who want to talk. I will go.”
“Please just wait by the bar.” Waldo asked. He did not spare her a glance.
“I have many things still to do and do not have time to waste.”
The (sort of) Dark Mage (Waldo Rabbit) Page 41
