Sapphire of the Fairies, Book 1 of Sword of Heavens

by Richard S. Tuttle

  Taking the third metal arrow, Arik adjusted for the furthest target. The merchant saw the elevation Arik was applying and shook his head with his eyes closed. Arik smoothly let the metal arrow fly and it sailed into the target, not a thumb’s width from the center. Applause broke out and Arik turned to find several people had become spectators to his display.

  The merchant beamed as he said, “Excellent shot, Sir. If you can repeat that last shot, I’ll gladly give you a tenth off the price of that longbow.”

  Arik laughed at the merchant’s attempt to sell his longbow. He was well aware, from watching Tanya, that any of these merchants would give you a tenth back to make a sale. Still, the longbow felt good to his hands and it was extremely accurate.

  “I will repeat it three times,” boasted Arik, “if you will give me three tenths off the price and a quiver full of these metal arrows.”

  The merchant was taken aback by the audacious request, but the crowd, which had swelled greatly, applauded again and he quickly acquiesced to Arik’s request. He handed Arik three more metal arrows and Arik again stuck two of them in the dirt while he waited for the boy to clear the targets. When the field was clear Arik nocked his first arrow and easily sent it through the air, driving it into the center of the distant target. The crowd that had become very large applauded.

  “What happens when one of these metal arrows strikes another?” Arik questioned.

  “It is the same as a hit,” answered the merchant, “but it may damage the arrow. I will have the boy remove the arrows after each shot if you think that it is a possibility.”

  Arik nodded and the merchant signaled the boy as murmurs ran through the crowd. Arik’s second arrow flew as true as the first and Arik noticed that a man in the crowd was collecting money and making wagers on the final shot. The merchant was sweating now and wringing his hands as Arik nocked his third arrow. A hush fell over the crowd as Arik’s third arrow sailed through the air and pierced the center of the target. If the second arrow had been left in, the third would have hit it. The crowd roared its approval and many a hand slapped Arik on his back as the crowd dispersed.

  “You are as fine a marksman as I have ever seen,” the merchant admitted, “and I have seen a few. Still, a deal is a deal and you have won your discount fairly. It’s safe enough to say that my shop will be the talk of the town for a week, at least, and that brings paying customers around.”

  Arik paid the merchant and also purchased a fine, soft leather case for the bow. Tanya was suitably impressed not only with his shooting, for she knew him as a good shot, but with his negotiating skill. He and Tanya spent the rest of the day shopping and Tanya made a few more purchases of items, which Arik had no idea what she was going to do with.

  * * * *

  Fredrik’s luck was fair with cards as well as any other game, but the young gambler earned his money at dice and wheel games where his magic could affect the outcome. Fredrik’s attire marked him as a wealthy man and saw him admitted to the more lucrative games where the stakes were higher.

  Fredrik had played this game for so long, he knew the rules well. He did not win too much at any one establishment, but moved on to the next before people started howling about his luck. With a city the size of Melbin, Fredrik could gamble for a month before anyone would get wise to his extraordinary ability to win. Still, he kept in mind Garth’s warning about cheating the merchants and he was sure that applied to gambling as well. By working his way from the poorer establishments to the richer, Fredrik had managed to amass several thousand crowns for his several hours of work. At the last establishment he had encountered two other gamblers he had run into earlier in the afternoon and decided to end his gambling for the day.

  Fredrik made his way back to the Fluttering Jib and noticed Arik and Tanya in the common room. He worked his way over to them and sat down.

  “Where are Tedi and Niki?” greeted Fredrik.

  “We haven’t seen either one of them since we arrived,” Tanya stated. “We spent all day at the market. I picked up some knives for you at the market in case you didn’t get a chance to get there before they closed.”

  Fredrik kicked himself for forgetting about the market. When he started gambling he always lost track of time. He was thankful now for the conversations he had had with Tanya about what he was looking for in knives. “Thanks, Tanya,” he said. “I lost track of time and didn’t make it to the market. I’ll look at them after dinner, but I’m sure that what you bought will be just what I want. If you haven’t eaten yet, it will be my treat. I’ve had an exceptional run of luck today.”

  Tanya grinned knowingly and Arik gritted his teeth. Tedi came into the common room looking harried and slid into a seat at the table. “We have some serious problems,” Tedi whispered.

  Arik looked around the common room to see if anyone was paying too much attention to their table. Satisfied that no one was paying any attention to them, Arik asked the obvious question. “What kind of trouble is serious?”

  “There is a Melbin guard trying to kill Garth,” Tedi whispered, “and Niki was arrested.”

  Ale slopped out of Arik’s mug as he lowered it to the table and his jaw almost dropped as low. Looking around again, Arik suggested that they retire to one of the rooms to talk.

  The four Rangers beat a hasty exit from the common room and went upstairs to the boys’ room. Everyone found a spot on one of the beds to sit before Arik demanded an explanation.

  “Garth, or rather Mikal Obanik, is not welcome in Melbin,” Tedi began. “He was shown the gate by King Alfred five years ago after killing four men and wounding two others. Three of them were Melbin Guards. One of those guards is out to kill him. I overheard him and another guard talking earlier and I’ve spent the day trying to find him. While I was down in the Oddities Market, I saw two guards escorting Niki to the Palace. She did not look happy.”

  “Great,” exclaimed Fredrik. “I wonder if she was stupid enough to use magic here.”

  Arik and Tanya both shot Fredrik a wicked glare and he turned red when he realized what he had said. He smiled weakly and shrugged his shoulders. “Sorry,” he apologized. “I really meant stupid enough to get caught using magic.”

  Arik and Tanya were not impressed with the subtle distinction Fredrik was making. “Niki is the more important of the two,” Arik stated. “Garth can take care of himself and Niki is likely to use magic on the King and get herself killed. How can we find out where she is and what she has done?”

  “I know a guard,” suggested Tedi, “who appears honest and might tell us. I don’t really know him, but I know his name and what he looks like. He is the one who was talking about Mikal Obanik and what happened five years ago. His name is Lomar.”

  “If this guard is honest and knows Mikal is in town,” Tanya asked, “why is he not arresting him?”

  “He thinks what Mikal did was correct,” Tedi said. “The King was mad because Mikal refused to be his General of the Army. That is what got him thrown out of the city and Lomar won’t arrest him to face the King again.”

  “That is a story I want to hear more of,” Tanya said, “but right now we have to get Niki to safety. In most cities, you can just go up to the Palace Guard and ask them if somebody has been arrested and what for. I’ll go try that and come back.”

  Tanya left as Fredrik said, “It is most likely that she used magic. If that is the case, they will execute her. We have to find out where the prison is and how to get her out.”

  “I am not enjoying my first trip to the big city,” Tedi remarked. “I’ve spent all day frantically looking for Mikal before someone kills him and now we have to plan a prison break.”

  The boys sat and pondered their situation for a short time before Tanya returned. “She was arrested for something she did in Caldar. Something about using magic to take clothes from a woman,” Tanya informed them. “The woman is here in Melbin and recognized her.”

  “Can they arrest her for something she did in another cou
ntry?” Fredrik asked.

  “The King can do whatever he wants in his country,” Tanya explained.

  The four Rangers sat lost in thought for some time. Garth would be furious with them if they didn’t get Niki free and this would probably be the last city they ever saw for the rest of their lives.

  “If this woman can have Niki arrested for something that happened in Caldar,” Fredrik stated forcefully, “then I can have her arrested for something she did in Cidal.”

  The others looked at Fredrik like he was crazy. Fredrik smiled and explained, “I am known as Lord Wason in Cidal, the Lord of the Manor. We had to leave the town rather swiftly because Niki used magic to hold one of my maids off the floor. She was in a rage and they would have killed her. She rode out on a horse and I pretended to be chasing her. As far as anyone in Cidal knows, I am still chasing her. I will go to the King and demand her arrest. He will turn her over to me and we can leave.”

  “That sounds pretty good,” Tedi admitted, “but will the King even see you?”

  “If he is really Lord of the Manor in Cidal,” Tanya speculated, “the King probably will see him. Do you know anybody there that the King might know?”

  “Just before we left town, I was in a meeting with Captain Grecho, head of the Cidal Mercenary Company. The King may have heard of him,” hoped Fredrik.

  “I heard about them today in the same conversation,” Tedi exclaimed. “They are known here in Melbin and have a good reputation.”

  “Well, Lord Wason,” bowed Arik, “it would appear that you are about to see the King of Melbin.”

  Fredrik straightened out his clothes and headed for the Royal Palace, which was an imposing mansion in the heart of the city. The Palace itself was set back quite a bit from the road and Fredrik feared he would look foolish walking in from the street. He turned around and headed towards a carriage house he had seen earlier in the day. For twenty crowns, he rented a large, ornate carriage for the trip to the Royal Palace.

  The carriage pulled up to the gate to the Royal Palace and the driver announced Lord Wason of the Cidal Manor having just arrived in the city to seek audience with the King. The guard looked inside the carriage and nodded. A runner was sent to the Palace and he returned several minutes later with a message. The guard opened the massive gate and waved the carriage through.

  The carriage rode up to the front of the Royal Palace and stopped. A Palace servant dressed entirely in white, except for an orange and black sash, opened the carriage door. Fredrik stepped out as proudly as he could. The servant closed the carriage door and then led Fredrik inside. The Palace was fairly new and very well decorated. The entry was large and spacious and sported large plants to give the room an outdoor feeling. Paintings lined the walls of the tiled corridors and the doors were made from excellently carved woods with gold scrollwork.

  The throne room was large and the floor was completely covered with carpeting as fine as any Lanoirian rug Fredrik had seen. Spaced along the walls were large murals of the seacoast and statues placed between them. The throne, itself, was a gaudy gold chair with orange and black cushioning. Seated on the throne was a small, plump man with a receding hairline. Behind the throne were two women dressed in orange and black dresses. The servant announced Lord Wason and Fredrik realized he was speaking to the King.

  Fredrik bowed to King Alfred and waited for a signal to approach. Fredrik had never been before a King and he had no idea what the protocols were, but he behaved as if the King were a god and hoped that whatever he did would not create an offense.

  “King Alfred, I greatly appreciate you taking the time to see me without an appointment. I am afraid that our first meeting is marred by my need to ask something of you.”

  “Lord Wason, please, I do not stand a great deal on the formalities of the old ways. The last I had heard the Lord of the Manor in Cidal was Lord Alrecht. As your name would indicate that you are not his son, may I ask how you have come unto your Title?”

  Lord Alrecht was my uncle, Your Highness. He was murdered by Black Devils passing through Cidal and I am his only heir.”

  “You have my sympathies,” the King offered. “I trust the Cidal Mercenary Company avenged his death?”

  “Actually, Your Highness, Captain Grecho informed me that the company was unaware of the murder until it was long over and the Black Devils had moved on.”

  “A pity,” the King sympathized. “Well, what is it that you wish from me, Lord Wason?”

  “I have been chasing a young woman who was staying in my mansion in Cidal,” Fredrik gambled. “It has come to my attention that she was arrested here in the city this very day.”

  “It seems to me, if I recall correctly, your uncle used to chase women, as well,” the King joked, “but I think I know of the woman whom you are referring to. A Lady of Caldar has charged her with sorcery. The Lady told me an interesting tale about having her dress ripped off her on the main street of Caldar.”

  “That could very well be the same woman, Your Highness. The woman I am after used sorcery on one of my own maids in my own mansion and I have been chasing her ever since.”

  “Well, at least I no longer have to feel guilty about executing her for sorcery,” chuckled King Alfred. “Of course, the Lady of Caldar’s word was enough to satisfy me, but your word assures me beyond doubt. I will allow you to witness the execution and then we shall have a great feast for the Lady and yourself.”

  A shiver ran through Fredrik’s body. He had not known that the woman whom Niki disrobed in public was the Lady of Caldar. The woman had seen Fredrik with Niki and if she saw him here, he could also be arrested and executed.

  “Your Highness,” Fredrik pleaded, “I would request that this woman be turned over to me so that I may have her returned to Cidal to stand trial for her crimes against me and the people of Cidal.”

  The King lost his entire jovial mood and went silent. For several long agonizing moments, the only sound in the large, cavernous room was Fredrik’s own breathing.

  Finally, the King of Melbin spoke. “You present me with a difficulty, Lord Wason. I have before me a woman who has committed serious crimes in two jurisdictions. Each jurisdiction is a potential ally and vassal of Melbin. Caldar appeared before me first, but Cidal is closer and has the backing of the Cidal Mercenary Company. This is a difficult choice. Would you care to look at the woman and confirm for me that we are, indeed, dealing with the same woman?”

  “Certainly, Your Highness,” Fredrik agreed.

  A servant and two guards led Fredrik out of the throne room and along a corridor to the rear of the Palace and across the yard almost to the far wall of the estate. Not far from the wall was a large, square plot of land surrounded by a moat, with a flagpole being the only structure above ground. The guards worked a winch that moved a narrow bridge out across the moat and the servant led Fredrik across. The entire island was a series of cages built into the ground, which were exposed to the weather. The servant stopped at the first cage and Fredrik’s heart sunk as stared down at Niki in the cage. She was sleeping and Fredrik did not have the heart to wake her.

  Fredrik returned across the bridge and the guards withdrew it. The four men marched back to the throne room and Fredrik addressed the King.

  “Your Highness, just seeing the woman again makes me plead that you give preference to my claim towards her.”

  King Alfred nodded and laughed. “My Lord Wason, my advisors have come up with a plan to please both Caldar and Cidal. You will be given the woman to take back to Cidal as you requested.”

  Fredrik’s heart leaped with joy at avoiding this close call over losing Niki.

  “That will be, of course,” the King continued, “after we have executed her to satisfy Caldar’s claim.”

  Fredrik’s heart sank and he begged leave from the King’s presence. On the way back to the Fluttering Jib, he tried to think of what he would tell the others.

  Chapter 17

  Breakout

  When M
ikal Obanik emerged from the basement of the leather shop, the sky had blackened and the alley was dark. As dark as the alley was, the news from Alcea was even darker. Instead of Alcea preparing to receive its new King, it sounded like the petty interests of rival Lords had taken precedence. Worse than that, King Byron had been assassinated and Queen Marta had fled the city.

  Mikal waited a moment to let his eyes adjust to the darkness and moved down the alley to his next contact. Sounds far behind him in the alley caught his attention and Mikal refused the temptation to turn and look. If someone was following him, there was little he could do until they got closer. Care would have to be taken to make sure that no one knew his contacts, though. Long after Mikal had left the city, his contacts would have to continue living here.

  At the end of the alley, Mikal stepped out on the wide street and watched the passing people. Gauging the proper moment, Mikal stepped out and merged with the flow of traffic, hoping to lose his follower. It was only a half-hearted attempt as Mikal was taller than most of the citizens of Melbin and his head would be visible above the crowd, still, the tail would know only the general location when he left the crowd. He worked his way patiently to the opposite side of the street and suddenly ducked into an alley. Walking quickly, Mikal reached the end of the alley and entered another broad street. He turned right on the street and right into the next alley. Halfway up that alley was a door and he opened it and slipped in.

  The corridor on the other side of the door was unlighted and Mikal walked cautiously to a doorway at the end. Mikal tapped on the door with a distinctive knock that alerted the occupant on the other side as to whom was calling on him. The dim light that showed under the door was extinguished and Mikal heard a bolt being thrown back and the door opened a crack. Mikal slipped into the room and closed the door. A voice from the other side of the dark room called softly to him. “You have been away for a long time.”