 |
  |
 |
|
|
|
Back to the previous chapter: Spires
First Draft
Bilbus leaned against the wall of the tunnel, still gasping from the exertion of creating the magickal shield. He looked out at the larger hall and the dwarven army arrayed there. "Can we get out of here? That shield will not last long if the orcs have mages, and it won't stop arrows."
Kasey peered around the corner towards the broken main doors of the Citadel. "Can we fight them some more? I think we were winning!"
Bilbus looked at the blond giant and shook his head. He turned to watch dwarven engineers moving into the corridor behind stout wooden shields. The engineers were quickly stacking stones into a low wall to provide protection from arrow fire. Some orcs had already realized that their arrows could pass through the shield, and a smattering of arrows quickly became a torrent. Dwarves collapsed from the withering fire, even as they started returning fire with their heavy crossbows.
Bilbus glanced around the corner to look at the orc army. He frowned when he realized that his shield was fading quickly. "Hells! They've already cut the weaves. There's nothing stopping them. We have got to leave! Now!"
The dwarven king ran towards the party as a shout rose from the army outside the gates. The king shouted over the din, "Citadel Altspire must not fall in vain! Flee now! Out the tower! My army will keep the orcs busy while you make good your escape!"
Without waiting for an answer, the king drew his war axe and joined his army. Shouting a wordless battlecry, the king led his hundreds of dwarves in a charge against the charging orc army.
Breanna kneeled next to Eric. "Can you walk? We have to go now!"
With Breanna's help, Eric stood. He was unsteady, but Bilbus ducked under one of Eric's arms to keep the archer on his feet.
The party crossed the large entry tunnel, reaching one of the open lift shafts. The clash of the battle was loud in the lift room, screams and crashes of steel on steel echoing through the great hall. Rishala pushed the doors closed as Kasey started hauling on the lift rope.
Sturm helped the Church Knight pull the ropes. The lift room was moving upwards at a surprising pace.
Eric leaned against one of the walls. Bilbus stood next to him. "Eric, when we get to the top of the tower, there may be archers."
Eric nodded. "That's okay. Point me at them, and I'll stop some arrows."
"Eric?"
"No, that came out wrong, didn't it?"
Twenty minutes later, the lift stopped. Rishala swung the door open, and the party looked out into the upper level hallway. It was nearly empty, and the heavy doors at the far end still held.
"Okay, there's the tower stairs," Bilbus said. "Everyone get going. I'm going to slow the lift."
The mountebank drew a flask of oil from his backpack as his companions filed out of the lift. He doused the ropes with oil, then channeled Heka into the rope. The rope ignited readily.
Bilbus caught up to his friends quickly in the stairwell before the flame burned through the stout rope. The lift platform fell down the hundreds of feet to the bottom of the shaft.
The party reached the top of the spiraling staircase and the tower exhausted. Over five hundred feet of stairs was exhausting enough, but the stairs had been cut by dwarves for dwarven feet and legs. The steps were too short and too narrow for human feet. Countless stumbles and banged toes had taken their toll.
The party glanced over the edge of the tower carefully. The sun had already set, and the last vestiges of light were fading quickly from the sky. On the dark ground, the party could see dead orcs, peppered with the short, stout bolts of dwarven crossbows. Some distance to one side, concealed from ground-level observation, were the dwarves who had escorted the party to the Citadel.
Rishala leaned over the edge of the tower and waved to the dwarves. "Hello!" he shouted.
Some of the dwarves waved back while others continued to keep watch.
"We need to climb down," Kasey said. "Does anyone have fifty paces of rope?"
Sturm said, "I have fifty feet." No one else answered.
Rishala channeled Heka. He shaped it into a weave on the stone floor of the tower's roof. When the weave was completed, there was a large coil of rope. "Will that do?"
Kasey tied one end of the rope around a roof support, testing it to make sure the knot held. He tossed the coil over the edge of the tower, listening as it banged against the tight-fit stones.
Bilbus sat on the ledge between two of the battlements. "I should go first to test the rope. I am the best climber here."
He grabbed the rope and started descending. Part of the way down, he shouted as he lost his grip. Falling, Bilbus barely managed to shape a flow of Heka to slow his fall. Even so, Bilbus landed hard on his rear. He stood up and brushed himself off.
On the tower top, Sturm asked, "He was our best climber?"
Kasey shook his head. "He should have used a harness. Sturm, can you make one with your rope?"
Sturm quickly assembled a climbing harness.
Eric went next. He had regained a lot of strength during the lift ascent thanks to Breanna's healing magicks, and he was able to lower himself using the harness. Sturm and Adria followed afterwards, and Kasey rigged a rope saddle to hold Breanna to his back as he climbed down. Rishala followed along, crawling on the tower like a spider thanks to a quick weave of Heka.
Once the party was safely assembled on the ground, the dwarves came out from cover. One led Acquisition 2. Farran trotted from behind a cluster of boulders, face messy. When the kelpie was closer to the humans, he bared his teeth, revealing wet chunks of meat caught between unnaturally sharp teeth. Kasey clucked loudly and started picking at the orc flesh in Farran's teeth.
Eric leaned against the tower, pale.
Breanna fretted nearby. "Are you all right? Can I get you something?"
"I ... I will be okay. I think the climb got to me."
"Eric, after those injuries you took, you have to rest. The magicks I used are healing you, but you are still weak."
Bilbus offered his reins to Eric. "You better ride Acquisition 2."
"I'm fine," Eric protested.
"Sure you are. What happens if we run into orcs while we're climbing down the mountain? You are too weak to hike down the mountain and use your bow."
Eric gave up his protests. He looked at the dwarves assembling nearby. "What do we tell them?"
Bilbus shrugged. "'Sorry the orcs just destroyed your kingdom?' I don't know."
Eric approached the commander of the dwarven contingent. Speaking in the dwarves' native tongue, Eric told the commander about the orc assault on the main floor, and the king's hope that Altspire would not fall in vain.
As Eric spoke, the dwarves looked grimmer and grimmer. The commander spoke to Eric, then gathered his men and started leading them down the mountain.
"We had best follow them," Eric told his fellow humans. "They want to be off the mountain before we make camp."
Bilbus helped Eric into Acquisition 2's saddle, and the party followed the dwarves down the dark mountain.
It was late that night when they finally made camp, such as it was. The dwarves did not erect any tents, and no one was allowed to light fires. The humans huddled close together, sharing warmth.
Eric shivered. "Now what? Once we get back to the ship?"
Bilbus snorted. "I say we go to Londoun and get drunk."
"And?"
Bilbus shrugged in the dark. "That's it." He turned towards where he thought Adria was sitting. "Did you come up with a new plan for Portsdale?"
She waited a moment, then replied noncommittally, "I'm still working on it."
The quiet lasted for a few moments, broken by the low speaking of some nearby dwarves.
Eric broke the silence. "What were the Portals like?"
Bilbus chuckled. "For a moment, I thought Rishala was right about Phaeree and all of that." Rishala snorted. "But it wasn't anything like those stories he tells."
Bilbus described his time in the Portals, surrounded by orcs, and continued with Erelhei Cinlu and the orc city of Claw Fang. He heard some of his companions settling and trying to sleep in the frigid air, but Eric still prompted him with questions on occasion.
As Bilbus felt himself dozing off, he had a final thought. "Shouldn't we post watches?"
Eric, his voice distant and sleepy, mumbled, "The dwarves already did."
Yawning, Bilbus replied, "That's good."
He dozed off quickly, in spite of the harsh cold.
Bilbus awoke slowly. He was standing in a dark room. Where? He looked around. Where are the dwarves?
The walls were black onyx, polished to a glass-like finish. A fire raging in the hearth provided some light -- not enough to account for all of the light in the room, but there was no other light source. The fire was not warm; it gave no heat at all.
Bilbus felt a chill. He had been in this room before.
"Bilbus the Great. Or should I call you Lord del Cartach, now?" The voice was familiar, a deep, rich, menacing voice.
Bilbus looked towards the source of the voice. Two plush, high-backed chairs faced the hearth. They had not been there moments ago.
Bilbus walked slowly towards the chairs, dragging his feet. One of them was unoccupied. Bilbus sat down.
The Dark One sat in the other chair. As Bilbus settled into the deep cushions, the Dark One watched Bilbus quietly, the faintest glimmer of a smile on his face. The only sound in the large, empty room was the crackle of the fire.
The Dark One leaned back in his chair, smiling enigmatically. "You have had five months to think on My offer. I've given you the woman, as I promised. Are you ready to serve Me?"
Bilbus leaned forward. "I have been serving you. I can't be too open about it, or the others would be suspicious."
The Dark One sat forward. His smile vanished. "Do you think a feeble conman like you can fool Me?"
Bilbus let a sly grin slide across his face. "I wouldn't dream of running a grift against someone like you. Great Lord, your sartorial choices are excellent. I must know, who is your tailor?" Maybe that was a bit much, Bilbus realized belatedly.
The sudden surge of black Heka in the room was incredible. Bilbus had no chance to see what sort of casting the Dark One was shaping, it happened so fast. A force hit Bilbus, throwing him back into his chair as if a horse had just ran into him at a full gallop. Without a thought, Bilbus reached for the dark flows of Heka that were always rushing like a torrent just beyond the edge of his vision. He quickly threw the tendrils of Heka into a mesh between his chair and the Dark One's.
As Bilbus was tightening the weave of energy, an overwhelming wave of nausea washed over him. Unable to concentrate because of the sensation, Bilbus lost control of the weave of Heka. The dark energies dissipated quickly, leaving Bilbus staring at the Dark One.
The Dark One leaned back again, smiling as he would to a wayward child. "Unpleasant feeling, isn't it, Bilbus? Were you trying to weave a shield? Do you think you could possibly weave a shield strong enough to stop Me?"
Bilbus shifted his shoulders, almost shrugging, as he waited for the illness to subside. He watched the Dark One, trying not to react to the flickering orange in the Dark One's eyes.
The Dark One stroked his bearded chin casually. "Perhaps I have been too lenient with you, child. You do not understand the magicks with which you play. Maybe I should stop shielding you from the full cost of using My magicks."
He paused for another long moment, considering the mountebank in the other chair. "Here is My offer, Bilbus the Great. Listen well to it, for I tire of your games. You will decide whether you will serve Me, or whether you will not, before I visit with you again. If you choose to serve Me, you shall take a binding vow, and I shall continue to shield you from the effects of Heka. If you choose not to serve Me, My boon shall be revoked permanently, and you will suffer as you should. Since you do not understand the consequences of meddling with black Heka, I shall let you spend some time without My protection."
The room faded, leaving Bilbus in utter darkness. He found himself lying awake moments later, cold and miserable, staring at the northern stars far above.
The party and their dwarven escorts were underway before the sun had risen. By the time the sun had peeked over the distant range to the east, the party had already left the shadow of Altspire behind. An oily black tendril of smoke snaked from the slopes of Altspire where the upper entrance to the Citadel was. Numerous fires of the orc army surrounded the entrance, and a lot of movement was visible at this distance, but nothing appeared to be moving away from the mountain to follow the column of dwarves.
Several hours later, as the sun finally began to warm the ground, the column of smoke was no longer alone. Thick smoke roiled from the tower atop Citadel Altspire, looking for all who saw it like a chimney. Smoke also poured from the main entrance, visible only as a thinning column of white climbing from behind the bulk of the mountain, and several other places across the face of the mountain. One of the dwarven officers identified the source of the numerous other columns of smoke as hidden cistern openings.
The dwarves marched on quietly, even more disinclined to speak than they had been.
Late during the second day of marching, the party was climbing the slopes of the Altspire Valley. The dwarves had chosen a different route back to Fool's Mine, but they had not explained why they were using this route. The foothills had been difficult, for there were no roads to follow. The windswept pass ahead would be easier, since the snow was thin.
As the party rested for a few minutes shy of the pass, Sturm noticed some movement behind them, farther down the mountain.
The Sun Knight walked over to Eric, who was leaning against a large boulder. "Let me borrow your spyglass."
Eric drew the spyglass from its padded carrying tube and handed it to Sturm. The Sun Knight extended it to full length and scanned down the slopes. He lowered the glass for a moment and called out, "There are orcs following us." After peering through the glass again, he added, "About a platoon, with a Shadow Kindred."
Kasey called out from a dozen paces away, "Oh, them? I saw them yesterday afternoon." He peered down the slope, squinting. "Yeah, they're closer today."
Sturm looked at the Church Knight. "Why didn't you say anything yesterday?"
"Oh, I thought they were out for a pleasure march."
Sturm growled to himself. He gave the spyglass back to Eric. "They will overtake us pretty soon, maybe in less than an hour."
"Do they know we're here?"
"They know we are ahead of them. We've been leaving a really easy trail for them to follow. They may not know how close we are." The Sun Knight peered up at the pass. "We may be able to get up there and set an ambush before the orcs catch us. We better move fast, though."
Eric relayed Sturm's observations to the dwarves. The commander of the dwarves called out orders, and the entire column rushed up the mountain. The humans followed suit, keeping pace with the much shorter dwarves.
Atop the pass, the dwarves quickly started to disappear behind boulders, crags, and other outcroppings. Kasey, Bilbus, and Sturm stood in the middle of the pass defiantly. Breanna stood a few paces behind them, her rapier drawn, until Eric grabbed her arm and dragged her away.
"Eric!" she protested. "I ... I want to help!"
"Bree, don't be silly. We may need your healing skills far more than we need your fighting skills. I would hate for you to get killed when others are badly hurt."
Breanna pulled her arm free of Eric's grip and followed him quietly behind a large, flat rock. Eric was able to see over it well enough to aim his fire. He readied his bow and watched quietly.
Bilbus looked from Kasey, on his left, to Sturm, on his right. Both knights had stern expressions as they stood in the pass, weapons drawn but held casually. The mountebank looked around the pass. He could find no sign of the dwarves. Did they abandon us? Stupid dwarves. It's not my fault their defenses are so bad that an army of orcs can just walk through it. The orc platoon was close. The leading ranks started to run as they spotted the three humans standing alone in the pass, but the Shadow Kindred leading the platoon was already closing at a blistering pace.
Sturm yelled something at the thief. "Huh?" Bilbus shouted as he shifted his grip on the adamantine sword.
"I said, hasten Kasey!"
Bilbus paled, remembering what happened during his dream when he channeled. "No!"
"Bilbus, do it! That Shadow Kindred is almost on top of us!"
Bilbus shook his head, his eyes fixed on the pale flesh of the Shadow Kindred's face. "No!"
Snarling, Sturm asked, "Why not?"
Adjusting his grip on his sword once more, Bilbus stammered, "I ... I had a talk with a well-dressed man last night."
The dwarves suddenly appeared on both sides of the pass, raining crossbow fire down upon the charging orc platoon. Arrows from Adria and Eric's longbows arced over, plunging into the orc lines as well. Two glowing arrows shot from Rishala's captured drow bow, hitting the Shadow Kindred with a splash of energy as it rushed the men.
The Shadow Kindred swung its cursed black blade at Bilbus. The conman swung his sword desperately, deflecting the evil weapon before it touched his armor. Kasey stepped quickly to one side and swung Caladbolg. With a thunderclap, the ancient greatsword cleaved the Shadow Kindred in two.
The hail of arrow fire down the slope on the orc army shattered its charge. The few orcs still on their feet turned to run. Eric and Adria loosed a parting barrage of arrows at the orcs, killing them before they were out of range.
Bilbus stood still, his sword still positioned where it had blocked the Shadow Kindred's sword. He gasped, breathing hard. "You do this all the time?"
Sturm returned his sword to its scabbard. "This is fun."
The dwarves came down from their hiding places as the humans gathered near the Shadow Kindred.
Breanna looked at the dark blade lying on the rocks next to the twitching body of the Shadow Kindred. "We have to do something with that. We can't just leave it lying around."
Kasey kneeled over the blade, uttering a quiet prayer.
Eric looked at Church Knight. "We could bury it."
Breanna spotted the pickaxe tied to Acquisition 2's saddle bags. She walked over to the horse and untied the pickaxe. As she started cutting into the hard ground, Bilbus chuckled. "Oh, yeah. Kasey, I need to remember to give that pickaxe back to your father."
Rishala drew on some Heka, shaping it into a shovel. The Caledonian helped Breanna dig a hole. Once they were satisfied with it, Rishala pushed the darkblade into the hole with the shovel.
"Maybe we should try some last rites?" Bilbus suggested.
The rest of the party looked at him curiously.
"Well, those blades are created with a soul, right? Maybe last rites can free it?"
Bilbus tried to remember the proper ceremonies, but he could not remember the rites. Breanna started on some rites, but she stumbled as well.
Muttering under his breath, Rishala gently pushed them aside and delivered last rites on the darkblade.
When nothing happened, Rishala buried the darkblade.
The dwarves had started setting up camp a little ways down on the far side of the pass. Some fires were already burning, and several crews of dwarves were erecting tents. The party joined the dwarves, warming themselves around a fire. Bilbus produced a bottle of wine and offered it to his companions as the sun dipped to the horizon.
The rest of the trip to Fool's Mine was calmer than the first two days of travel. No additional orc patrols pursued the escaping party, and the party soon found themselves in the Fool's Mine Valley. The weather had warmed over the last few days, and the snow had thinned to mere traces in the shadows.
The town of Fool's Mine was little different than it had been when the party had left it weeks ago. The refugee tents were better organized, and work crews were quickly adding more permanent housing to the town. Dwarven patrols around the town were larger, but there were still no threats to Fool's Mine other than the winter.
Eric spoke to Detachment Commander Geldvein, the officer in charge of Fool's Mine, updating him on the conditions in the Altspire Valley, while the rest of the party shuttled out to the Chulainn's Spear. Once Eric had been rowed out to the ship, it set sail towards the southeast.
The captain of the ship approached the party that evening in the passengers' dining room. "Are we heading back to Londoun?"
Bilbus looked at Adria. She met his gaze far less icily than she had in recent weeks. Bilbus wondered idly if the sea sickness had mellowed her, or whether she had something else on her mind.
"No," the thief finally said. "We need to stop at Portsdale first."
"Aye," the captain said. "I will adjust our course."
After the captain left, Adria excused herself.
Breanna glanced at Bilbus. "Aren't you going to put her to sleep?"
Bilbus shook his head, feeling his face pale. "No, that's okay, Bree. Go ahead and knock yourself out. Or, better yet, knock her out."
Breanna left the table. Rishala followed her out of the dining room.
In the hallway, he called out quietly. "Lady Breanna."
Breanna stopped and let Rishala catch up.
"Before you put her to sleep, I want to talk to her. It might take a few minutes."
Confused, Breanna nodded. "Okay."
Rishala squeezed past her in the narrow corridor. "Thank you. If you could make sure no one else interrupts us..."
More uncertain, Breanna once more said, "Okay."
Rishala rapped at Adria's door. After a muffled reply from within Adria's room, the Caledonian walked in, shutting the door quietly behind him.
The Chulainn's Spear docked at Portsdale shortly after midday. It was a chilly day, with a crisp breeze blowing in from the north, but it was far warmer than Fool's Mine. A few sparse clouds floated high overhead, patches of white in the blue sky.
The party remained below decks after the ship docked. They had agreed that Bilbus, especially, should not let himself be seen in Portsdale and that the rest of them would avoid the town as much as they could until they had ascertained how dangerous Portsdale was.
Bilbus seemed unconcerned, but he remained in his stateroom, working on a note for the Baron Rufors del Bartholo. The Baron had put a warrant out for Bilbus's head after Adria had disrupted her father's plan to marry her to the Baron's son. Bilbus decided to try treating Baron del Bartholo like he would a head of a thieves' guild. A note to the Baron offering to discuss their problem and find a resolution would not be too difficult. Whether the Baron would agree to resolve the problem honestly was the question.
A second note was far easier for Bilbus. He wrote Lord Janus Ithell, Eric's father, asking for advisors to run Bilbus's lands while Bilbus continued to travel. From his brief time visiting the Ithell manors, Bilbus had decided he could trust the Ithell's to run his lands honestly.
Two doors down the hallway, Sturm worked on notes of his own. In his case, he was summarizing the events in Clemendeev, from the orc occupation of the southern cities to the fall of the Citadel Altspire, to the condition of the surviving dwarves in the northern corner of their kingdom. He made two copies of the letter, addressing one to his garrison commander, Sir Ianto Gittoes in the Hold Londoun, and the other to Sir Cael Leith, Lord High Commander of the Knights of the Sun. In spite of Sir Gittoes's suggestions to the contrary, Sturm did not trust that messages sent to Sir Leith via the Hold in Londoun would actually reach their intended recipient. None had to date.
Breanna had already finished her letter. She had written her father for the first time in several weeks. She had been avoiding contact with him for fear that he would have selected her husband for her, something she could no longer accept after having experienced the world for herself. I am marrying Eric. My father can accept it as my decision. Or... Breanna still had not decided what the alternative would be, which was in part why she had avoided her father for the last few months. Not that it is hard avoiding him when I am far from Armagh, anyway. Still, Eric and I have to tell him sooner or later. If I keep waiting, he may find a suitor for me. But, what if he refuses my wishes?
The party eventually made their way onto the deck. Bilbus stood at the railing of the Chulainn's Spear, surveying the dock area.
Eric approached him from behind. Calling over the wind that had whipped up again, he asked, "Bilbus! What are we doing in Portsdale, anyway?"
Bilbus winced at the shout and glanced quickly at the dock workers just ten paces away. He turned to Eric and called out dramatically, "I am not Bilbus! I am Rishala of Orkney!"
Rishala groaned loudly.
Bilbus turned back to the town, looking past the docks towards the rest of Portsdale. He could see his family's orchards, trees now gray and barren, in the distance. Scanning the skyline to the right of the orchards, he spotted his mansion. Bilbus furrowed his eyes as he studied the building. Eric stopped next to him, looking over the town as well. Bilbus grabbed Eric's spyglass and extended the telescoping tube. Eric sighed quietly to himself, but said nothing. Bilbus peered at his distant mansion.
The front windows were discolored, with sooty smudges above them. The back part of the house had collapsed, and it was clearly charred. Bilbus lowered his spyglass, snarling under his breath, "I am going to kill him."
Eric glanced at the mountebank curiously.
Several paces behind the two, Adria tugged on Kasey's shoulder. The Church Knight leaned over.
Adria spoke quietly into the tall blond warrior's ear. "Kasey, I want you to keep a watch on Bilbus. Do not let him leave the boat."
Kasey's face looked puzzled. "Why?"
Adria thought quickly. "Bilbus is a wanted man in Portsdale. I do not want anything to happen to him."
"Oh. Okay." Kasey grabbed a passing sailor. "Get me a keg of good beer. And some wine," he reconsidered. "No, brandy. Two mugs. Some meat, cheese, and bread." He pulled several coins from his pouch. "This should be enough to cover the cost. Keep the rest. And hurry!"
The deck hand took the coins from Kasey and trotted down the gangplank. He disappeared quickly into some nearby shops.
Adria had drifted away towards Sturm by the time Kasey looked around for her. He shrugged to himself and walked over to the railing to stand next to Bilbus.
Bilbus had tired of watching the town. He noticed Breanna heading towards the gangplank, so he moved to cut her off. "Bree? Are you heading into town?"
Breanna looked nervous. "Yes."
"Good." Bilbus withdrew the two letters he had written. "Can you find a courier -- two couriers, really. This letter," he handed the first to her, "is for Baron del Bartholo. I don't actually know where he lives, but anyone around here should. This letter," he gave her the other, "is for Eric's dad. I need someone to watch over my lands."
"Okay..." she said uncertainly. She added the two letters to one she already was carrying.
As Bilbus walked away, Sturm approached her. "Breanna? Could you please have couriers deliver these letters? This one is for Sir Gittoes in Londoun Hold, and this one is for Sir Cael Leith in Sunkeep, near Llwelyn."
Breanna looked at the Sun Knight in surprise. His usual terse mannerisms were missing. "Sure, Sturm." She took the letters. Sturm gave her some coins as well, then walked towards Adria.
Breanna looked at the rest of the party. "Anyone else have letters? I seem to be tracking couriers today."
Bilbus slapped his forehead. "Get Acquisition 2 some oats. Enough for a couple of weeks. The poor boy hasn't been eating well lately, and it is getting colder."
Breanna nodded to herself. Bilbus tossed her a coin, then turned to head belowdecks. Kasey followed him.
Breanna went down the gangplank, folded letters in one hand, the other one tapping on the railing of the plank.
Once Breanna was off the deck, Adria gathered Sturm, Rishala, and Eric near. "I need you three to help me."
Rishala looked at her curiously.
"I am going to my father's to settle things. I don't trust him, and I want you three there to be witnesses." She gave Rishala a tied bundle of papers. "If something happens to me, give these to Bilbus."
Rishala nodded and tucked the package into his coat. He continued to look at her oddly.
Adria turned for the gangplank. The three men followed her. Rishala noticed Adria was wearing her rapier -- something she did infrequently, lately -- and a riding dress that gave her legs plenty of freedom under her warm coat.
Adria walked quickly along the avenue. She heard someone to one side saying, "Lady Adria has escaped!", but whoever spoke avoided her glance when she looked for the source.
The walk to her father's manor house was over too soon. Four guards stood outside the entrance. None of them were familiar, and they had the gruff appearance of mercenaries used to life on the field, not guard duty at a noble's mansion. A few patches of snow were still against the house on the north side, refusing to melt in the shade of the building.
Adria stopped in front of the guards when they did not move aside. She stood regally, looking at them with a practiced cool eye. "I am here to see my father, Lord Duran del Quintin."
One of the guards eyed her. "And ye are?"
"I am the Lady Adria del Cartach. You will tell my father I am here to see him, and you will admit me to his house."
The guard slowly stood aside and opened the door. He walked through, leaving it open for Adria and her escorts.
Inside the atrium of the house were four more guards, also unfamiliar. None of them wore the family's livery, and all of them had the unkempt appearance of field mercenaries.
Adria waited for several minutes before he father appeared at the top of the stairs. He walked down the stairs, stopping at the base of them. He scowled at Adria and her friends.
"Adria. So good to see you." His voice gave the lie to his sentiment. "What sees you in Portsdale?"
"Father, you have dishonored our family name."
"I have done no such..."
Adria shouted over her father. "You lied! You lied to the Outer Circle of the Council! You trumped up kidnapping charges to make Bilbus a wanted man! You lied about Bilbus's bloodlines! I saw the poster. 'Claiming the title of Lord del Cartach'? He is Lord del Cartach, since you murdered his parents!"
Duran kept his voice level and reasonable. "I did no such thing. They were killed by Javik barbarians."
"Because you cheated the Javik! You knew how they reacted to cheats! You framed the del Cartach family to get out of an alliance you no longer wanted! How long have the del Bartholo's been pressuring you to ally with them?"
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
"You continue to lie! You have ruined our family name and honor! All my life I have been raised to believe that the family's name was the most important asset we had, and you have happily stomped it in the muck to give yourself the slightest advantages!"
"Adria, you are being unreasonable. Did you come here just to shout at me?"
She ignored him. "How could you? Murdering Bilbus's parents, then trying to murder him -- don't deny it! I have a Sun Knight and a Church Knight who witnessed your attempt at murder!"
Duran hissed back at her, "He murdered your brother, Cain!"
Adria's voice lowered, and became icily cold. "No father, Bilbus did not."
Duran's eyes widened slightly. His voice became mechanical. "What do you want, Adria?"
Adria removed her coat and dropped it to the floor. "Honor is the only thing you claim to believe in, even though you have ruined the del Quintin family's honor. I want to settle this now." She paused for a moment. "Father, I challenge you to a duel. You have sullied the del Quintin name, now you try to destroy the del Cartach family name as well."
"Is that why you bring a knight with you? So you can have him cleave me in two? Resorting to murder, my dear daughter?"
"No, father. I will fight you myself. I bring witnesses to make this duel legal and binding."
"Fine, fine. Your beloved mercenary commoner taught you to handle rapier. I will show you how much you have to learn. To first touch?"
"To the death."
Duran froze. He looked at Adria, hoping for any glimmer of uncertainty. The atrium was unbelievably quiet. "Death? Adria, do you understand what you are saying?"
"I do. I demand an honor duel, to the death. You have already showed me repeatedly how readily you will ignore honor, and I do not want you continuing to destroy our family."
Duran stared at her for several moments. At long last, he untied his cape and let it fall. "Very well. Single rapier, to the death. Who adjudicates?"
"Matthias. I wouldn't trust your mercenary guards, and you would not trust even a Sun Knight."
Duran turned to one of his guards. "Get Matthias out here immediately. I don't care if he is still hung over."
The mercenary nodded and ran up the stairs.
Duran drew his rapier and casually inspected it. "I hope, for your sake, that you have learned how to handle that sword on your hip. I would hate to think it is mere decoration."
Adria ignored the jab as she tied her hair back into a tail with a strand of leather. She ignored the concerned looks of her friends. Rishala and Eric were openly worried, but Sturm's face had turned grim. The Sun Knight watched the mercenaries in the room, waiting for any of them to make a wrong move.
Matthias stumbled down the stairs noisily, still trying to lace his vest correctly. He was barefoot, and the bottom of his pantalons were dragging on the ground.
He stopped and looked at his father. "What is this about a duel?" He noticed Adria for the first time. "Hi, Adria."
Duran scowled at his son. "Your sister has challenged me to a duel to the death. She thinks I have tarnished our family name, and she seeks justice."
Matthias looked from Duran to Adria and back, his jaw moving, but he said nothing.
Duran continued to speak. "She asked that you adjudicate the duel, since you are the most likely to be a neutral party in the household."
"Adria?" Matthias finally managed to ask.
Adria simply nodded.
Matthias finished lacing his vest. "As adjudicator to a duel, I need to inspect the weapons."
Adria drew her rapier and discarded her swordbelt. Duran gave Matthias his own rapier, then stepped away as Adria handed hers to her brother as well. Matthias inspected both blades, judging length to be essentially equal. He made sure both blades were clean of any foreign substances, then returned the two rapiers to their respective owners.
He stood between them. He glanced at his father, then looked at Adria. "Is this really what you want, sister?"
Adria stared past her brother. "He will not quit trying to destroy our lives as long as he breathes. He has hurt our family enough."
Matthias saw the determination on her face. He nodded sadly to himself and stepped to one side. "Commence."
Eric watched as father and daughter closed quickly. Adria's speed was a definite advantage, as she scored a fast cut on Duran's arm, but Duran's skill was far more refined than Adria's. He quickly sent an unopposed riposte back at Adria that tore her dress, leaving a crimson stain on her midsection. The Azirian fought the urge to intervene.
Adria realized that she was outclassed. After another fast exchange of bladework that left Adria's arm bloodied, Duran lunged rapidly for his daughter. Adria gave no pretense of defending the attack, and, instead, threw everything into a killing lunge of her own.
Duran staggered back from the attack, blood flowing from a cruel wound in his throat. Adria stumbled woozily, her father's blade through her chest. She watched her father collapse, then fell to the ground as well.
Matthias stood, numbed from shock.
Rishala ran forward, kneeling next to Adria. He pulled Duran's rapier from her and threw it viciously to one side. He felt Adria's neck carefully for a pulse. He looked up at Eric and nodded, then tore Adria's bodice open. From one of his belt pockets, Rishala produced a poultice of herbs that he pressed against the entry wound just below her left breast. Even as he channeled Heka into the poultice, Rishala could feel Adria's life force slipping.
"Come on, Adria," he whispered. "Don't quit now."
The storyteller uttered a quiet prayer, feeling the surge of energies from the gods. He directed the Heka into the wound, watching the opening mend a little. He wiped away some of the blood and drew on another healing magick, trying to stabilize the critically wounded noblewoman.
He glanced up and noticed some servants. "Bring me some clean linens! Now!"
One of the servants ran from the atrium.
Rishala glanced over at Sturm. The Sun Knight was kneeling next to Duran, checking for a beating heart. Sturm looked over at Rishala and shook his head. Duran's lifeless eyes stared at the ceiling of the room as Sturm stood once more to watch the mercenary guards.
The servant returned moments later with fresh bed linens. Rishala promptly tore one into long strips. He covered the chest wound with several folded strips, then had Eric prop the unconscious woman up so Rishala could wrap more of the strips around her chest, securing the bandaging in place.
"We need to get her back to Breanna," Rishala said. "I think I've made her as stable as I can, but Breanna might be able to do more."
Eric nodded and started to lift Adria. Sturm moved Eric out of the way and lifted her limp body readily. With one last scowl at the guards, Sturm walked towards the doors.
Eric and Rishala swung the doors open and led Sturm back to the Chulainn's Spear. Breanna was on the deck when they reached the docks. She saw Sturm carrying Adria, then spotted the deep crimson stains on her pale blue dress. Breanna's face was as pale as Adria's.
"Kasey!" Breanna shouted.
Kasey appeared on deck shortly before Sturm had reached the top of the gangplank. He took one glance at Adria, then offered, "I'll boil water!" Breanna looked at him. "It's what you do at times like this!"
The Church Knight disappeared belowdecks. Eric followed him.
Breanna directed Sturm to the Ambassador's Stateroom on the main deck, adjacent to the Captain's Stateroom. The Ambassador's Stateroom had remained unoccupied during the party's journey aboard the ship, but it was the nearest bed. Sturm lay Adria down gently on the bed, then quickly got out of the way as Breanna kneeled next to the bed, her healing bag already half emptied.
Bilbus burst into the room as Breanna was unwinding the bandages Rishala had used. He stopped in the doorway and stared at his comatose wife. "What..."
Sturm turned to the thief. "She fought her father. A rapier duel. Duran del Quintin is dead."
Bilbus watched Breanna place poultices on Adria's other two wounds. "She won?"
Sturm nodded, then summarized the short, vicious duel.
Bilbus slumped into a chair, staring at Adria disbelievingly.
Kasey walked into the room minutes later with a kettle. Eric followed him, steeping tea in a steaming cup of water. Rishala entered the room as well, staying well out of the way. Breanna continued to work on Adria, uttering quiet prayers as she placed some proper bandaging on the wounds.
Sturm watched the apothecary work for a few more moments, then looked at Bilbus again. "Congratulations. You own the del Quintin lands, now."
"Great," Bilbus said, not meaning it.
Eric kneeled on the deck next to Bilbus. "Remember, Bilbus. Some people will like you all of the time, and all of the people will like you some of the time, but not all of the people will like you all of the time."
Bilbus looked at Eric incredulously. "Is this going to be another one of those speeches like the one about 'my people'? You never did point one out."
"Bilbus," Eric admonished gently. "Go on deck. Look at Portsdale. Those people are now your people."
Bilbus sighed quietly. "We should give Breanna a little bit of room. We don't all need to crowd into here. Eric, come with me."
Eric, Sturm, and Rishala followed Bilbus on deck. Bilbus stopped next to the main mast and looked at Portsdale.
Eric stood next to him. "Are the Company of Unusual Headgear still here?" the Azirian asked. "Adria had mentioned something about them on the trip from Fool's Mine."
Bilbus shrugged. "You can tell me when you get back."
"Back from where?"
"You just offered to go look for them. Check around the bars. Someone with distinctive appearances like those four should be easy to remember."
"But why would I do that?"
Bilbus rolled his eyes. "Because they are looking for me. You can find out if I need to be hiding from them still."
"I'll go when Bree is done with Adria. She can go with me."
"Fine."
Rishala cleared his throat. "I will go, too. Bilbus, stay here. Don't be seen. The lord of Portsdale just got killed, and we don't know how the people of Portsdale will react to the new lord."
Breanna and Kasey joined the rest of the party on the deck. Breanna was still drying her hands on a towel. She stopped next to Eric and looked at Bilbus. "I've done everything I can do. She should be okay when she wakes up, but I do not know when that will be. The wound in her chest was very severe, and I really am surprised she survived. She is one lucky woman."
Eric put an arm around Breanna's waist. "Bilbus wants us to go bar hopping. He wants to know if the Company of Unusual Headgear are still here."
Breanna looked at Eric and giggled to herself, then sobered. "I really should borrow one of Adria's bodices that has a dagger sheath. I don't want to be unarmed." She glanced over at Bilbus again. "Do you think Adria would mind if I borrow one of her older bodices for the evening?"
Bilbus opened his mouth to reply, but Sturm answered first, "You could always ask her."
Breanna looked at the tall Sun Knight. He wasn't smiling, and Breanna could see no sign that he was teasing her.
"Maybe I will," she said. Breanna disengaged from Eric and walked back to the Ambassador's Stateroom.
When she returned twenty minutes later, she was wearing one of Adria's bodices. She, Eric, and Rishala walked down the gangplank, heading into Portsdale as the sun was getting close to the western horizon.
Sturm watched them leave as well. "Where to next?"
Bilbus glanced up at the Sun Knight. "I think we need to understand this prophecy we've been finding."
Sturm nodded. "I've made some headway with the parts we recovered. The letter Breanna got from the centaurs helped with some of the alphabet, but I still can not translate it."
"Neither can I," Bilbus admitted. "But, if this really is the Shroeganus Balsil, like Rishala says it is, then the people at the Academy in Hellenas probably can read it for us." He paused. "Besides, they have a lot of this prophecy already. Maybe we can get a translation and fill in the blanks."
Sturm grunted. "South, then. Through Brallian? Didn't your fellow thieves try to kill you there?"
Bilbus grinned. "That was a long time ago. I'm sure they've forgotten me by now."
"Uh-huh." Sturm went towards the stairs belowdecks, where it was warmer.
Kasey waited outside with Bilbus, keeping watch over the noble. When Bilbus finally turned to head belowdecks, Kasey followed him.
"Kase? You don't need to keep me on the ship any longer."
"Oh, I know, Bilbus. That's okay."
Bilbus turned towards the main deck staterooms. "I am going to visit with Adria. Alone."
"Okay. Yell if you need anything." Kasey continued to the belowdecks stairs.
Bilbus was alone on the main deck a couple of hours after sunset. He puffed on a taback roll, enjoying the burning, acrid smoke and the flare of orange as he drew air in through the rolled paper.
He could hear Breanna and Eric long before he saw them. The two were singing something, something very off-key and very loud. Every now and again, the song would break off into laughter, followed by a round of shushing and some loud whispers. Then, the song would slowly build up again. When Breanna and Eric were at the foot of the gangplank, Eric waved broadly at Bilbus.
Eric whispered loudly, "Hey, Bilbus! Hey!"
Bilbus scowled to himself and continued to smoke the taback, ignoring the drunk Azirian.
"Psst! Bilbus!"
Bilbus looked down at the two. Rishala was standing behind them, waiting for someone to move so he could climb back aboard the ship. Bilbus flicked his taback stick into the water, then looked at Breanna. "Bree, will you shut him up?"
Breanna looked at Bilbus, wobbly and confused. "But I thought..."
Bilbus sighed loudly. "Kiss him or something!" He started fishing for another taback stick.
Breanna shrugged and turned to Eric, tipping his head down so she could kiss him.
Eric was quiet for a few seconds. Bilbus walked away from the railing, heading to a lantern so he could light his fresh taback.
Breanna and Eric walked onto the deck. Rishala still followed them, shepherding them towards the stairwell to their staterooms.
Eric started whispering again. "Bilbus! We're back!"
Bilbus ignored him.
Breanna giggled too loudly, then leaned around in front of Eric. "Should I kiss him, too?"
"No!" Eric protested.
Breanna laughed. "Well, it got your attention..."
Rishala sighed. "You two, go get some sleep. I will talk to Bilbus."
Breanna and Eric stumbled down the stairs, laughing loudly as they did.
Rishala approached Bilbus. He coughed a couple of times when the smoke from Bilbus's taback stick wafted past him. "I kinna understand how you can smoke those things."
Bilbus smiled wanly. "It's an acquired taste."
"There's too much work to acquire a taste like that. Anyway," he waved his hand, blowing some of the smoke away from him. "The Company left about two weeks ago. The fellow we talked to thinks they returned to Londoun. They were mad about being duped. My guess is that Adria was supposed to meet them here, and, when she never showed up, they left."
Bilbus took another long drag on the taback. "At least we won't have to worry about them while we're here."
"Aye. How long is that going to be, Bilbus?"
Bilbus tossed the taback stick overboard. "A week. It will give Adria time to recover before we sail for Londoun. And time for del Bartholo to reply to my note."
"What was that note, Bilbus?"
Bilbus looked at Rishala. "Adria took care of her father, but Rufors del Bartholo was the one who made me a wanted man in the Dales. I do not want to leave him an enemy if I can settle things."
"So, are we going to stay here for a week?"
"On the boat? No. Adria should be in a bed, somewhere warm. We move into her family's house tomorrow morning. Duran burned my house down, may he rot in the Nine Hells."
Rishala nodded. "The story in town was that it was a lightning storm a few weeks ago. A lucky strike ignited it."
Bilbus laughed. "You believe it?"
"Do you?"
Bilbus shook his head.
"Me neither." Rishala put a hand on Bilbus's shoulder. "Come on. Let's get some sleep."
Bilbus let Rishala steer him down the stairs to his stateroom.
It was a chilly morning. A fresh layer of snow, several inches deep, covered the grounds of the new del Cartach manor in a bright layer of white. The sun glowed down from the brilliant blue sky, giving little warmth to the land below.
Bilbus had been staring out the window for several minutes, ignoring his friends in the upstairs library. They wanted to offer solace, but Bilbus did not want company. He wanted his wife to wake.
The door clicked as someone entered the library. Bilbus turned to see who had entered. He started to jump to his feet when he saw Breanna, but she shook her head slowly, eyes sad. Bilbus sighed quietly to himself, then turned to look out the window once more.
The thief-turned-noble tried to ignore the hushed conversation behind him. Breanna and Eric were talking once more. Bilbus overheard snippets of the talking, in spite of himself. Breanna kept mentioning her father. It really isn't that hard, Bree, Bilbus found himself wanting to say. You tell your father that you are marrying Eric. It really is that simple.
The door latch clicked again. Bilbus turned to see one of the liveried servants at the door. I have got to change those uniforms. No reason keeping the del Quintin colors around any longer than I have to.
The servant bowed towards Bilbus. "Sire. Pardon my intrusion. The Baron Rufors del Bartholo has requested an audience."
"Let me see the letter," Bilbus replied.
The servant looked confused for a moment. "Sire, the Baron is in the atrium right now. He has arrived to personally request an audience."
Bilbus looked to his companions in surprise. They looked as shocked as he felt. The servant waited patiently in the doorway.
Bilbus glanced at him. "I will be along shortly."
The servant bowed again. "I shall inform the baron."
Bilbus looked around at his friends once more. "What do I call him? He's got all this land..." Bilbus glanced from Breanna to Eric to Kasey, hoping one of the nobles could help him with proper etiquette.
Breanna shrugged. "Why not call him 'Baron del Bartholo'?"
Bilbus nodded hurriedly to himself. "Yeah, that's a good idea." He glanced up again. "How do I treat a baron?"
Kasey looked at Bilbus oddly. "Isn't he the one who got the wanted poster for you? Treat him with polite contempt."
"Okay. Got it. Act like Sturm, but nice."
Sturm growled, "I am nice."
Bilbus ignored the Sun Knight. "Do I serve drinks? No, he would assume they are poisoned." The mountebank jumped to his feet and rushed towards the door.
Kasey intercepted Bilbus, putting an arm out to block the smaller man's path. "No. Don't hurry out there. Keep him waiting."
Bilbus paced impatiently in the library for a few minutes before Kasey opened the door to the hallway. Bilbus followed the Church Knight to the back stairwell and down to the main floor. As Bilbus walked along, Kasey whispered to him, "Look bored." The creaking of Bilbus's worn leather armor was loud in the hallway.
Bilbus carefully relaxed his face. He strode arrogantly into the atrium. Opposite him stood Baron Rufors del Bartholo and his son, Todias, along with four liveried del Bartholo guards. Todias stood slack-jawed and slouching, looking around blankly as a small rivulet of drool crept from the corner of his mouth. His pale, clammy skin gave him the aura of an ill man, and his rounded body was more misshapen than obese. The baron, in contrast, stood erect, his large frame covered by a decorative breastplate and heavy, fancy jackets, coats, and pantalons. While he was likewise round, it was less strange on him.
Bilbus took a seat -- the only one in the atrium -- and looked at the del Bartholo men.
Rufors nodded to himself, as if Bilbus had just answered a question. "I received your letter the same day I received rumors that Duran was dead. I noticed that the keystone above the door has your family signet on it now. I take it Duran del Quintin is dead."
"By his own daughter's hand." Bilbus acknowledged. "He had brought a lot of pain on the del Quintin family, and he dishonored it with the murder of my father and my mother."
Rufors looked surprised.
"Why the surprise? You were there when he tried to murder me. You heard the story already. Or do you want to contradict events that a Knight of Kells and a Knight of the Sun witnessed?"
Rufors dropped the surprise readily when he realized his ruse did not work.
Bilbus leaned back in the chair, studying the baron. Rufors stared at him coolly, unblinking. Todias, behind the baron and to one side, continued to stare vapidly at the ceiling.
"Tell me, Baron del Bartholo," Bilbus grinned humorlessly, "what did your house hope to gain by allying with the del Quintin family?"
Rufors waved a hand dismissively. "Old news. But, you ask." He leveled his gaze at Bilbus. "My house is powerful in the Outer Circle. With the del Quintin family allied by marriage, we would have been in a strong position to gain a seat on the Inner Council."
Bilbus wanted to grin to himself. This is like playing games within the Guilds. To Rufors, he said, "Is it that simple? One of my comrades was telling me that there are only five seats on the Inner Council. Is that because there are only five nobles strong enough for those seats? You would have been the sixth?"
"There are only five seats on the Inner Circle. I would have to replace someone else on the Inner Circle."
"Certainly, that would not be easy."
"It could be dangerous," Rufors acceded.
"I see." Bilbus paused. He put his palms together in front of his face for a moment, as if he were praying. He tilted his head forward slightly, so he was leaning his forehead against his fingertips. "So, if you were allied with the leading noble house of Portsdale, you could have enough power to force someone out of the Inner Circle. What would happen to the displaced noble?"
Rufors smiled. "Two of the Inner Council members have made many enemies. Either one could suffer dire accidents, and the lesser nobles would gladly absorb their lands."
Bilbus now wanted to whoop out loud. He's just like a Guild Master! He let a small grin slip onto his face. "Tell me, Baron del Bartholo. If the del Cartach family promised to back you on your maneuvering, would that be acceptable? I don't have a daughter yet, but I am willing to promise Portsdale's support in your bid."
Rufors tilted his head towards Bilbus. "A kind gesture, Lord del Cartach. There are risks involved, you must understand. I would wonder, though. What would the del Cartach family have to gain by supporting the del Bartholo family?"
Bilbus reached into his partially-fastened leather jacket. He produced a rumpled, stained sheet of paper. He unfolded it and held it towards Rufors, waiting to see if the baron recognized it.
"It seems the Outer Circle of the Dales Council made me a wanted man, Baron del Bartholo."
"With your backing, Lord del Cartach, I will remove the warrant."
Bilbus folded the wanted poster and tucked it back into his jacket. "Tell me one other thing, Baron. When you move into the Inner Circle, what happens to the Outer Circle? Someone else would have to take your former seat."
Rufors smiled. "There would be a power vacuum. Naturally, someone from the lesser nobility would be needed to fill that seat. It has occurred to me that the del Quintin family," he smiled briefly, embarrassed, "the del Cartach family holds a lot of land, and it has a lot of sway in Portsdale. If there were an opening on the Outer Circle, I would have to support a petition to place Baron del Cartach there to fill it."
Bilbus stood and approached Rufors. He held out his right hand. "Baron del Bartholo, the del Cartach family and Portsdale will back your bid for a seat on the Inner Circle of the Dales Council." Rufors clenched the hand.
Bilbus held the grip for a moment, then released it. "Was there any other business, Baron? I have much to do."
Rufors shook his head. "No, Lord del Cartach. I think we have addressed the business I had here."
Rufors turned to leave. He slapped his son's shoulder, then nodded towards the front door of the manor house. Todias opened it and let his father through. The guards followed Rufors, and Todias followed the guards, shutting the door behind him.
Bilbus released a breath he had not realized he was holding. He looked around the atrium, realizing no one else was in the room. The noble hummed to himself as he returned to the upper floor library. When his friends saw him, he chuckled. He was feeling an excitement he had not felt in a long time. It's been too long since I've run a good grift.
He sat at a writing desk. "Sturm? How would the Sun Knights like a post in Portsdale?" Before Sturm could answer, Bilbus turned to Kasey. "How about the Church Knights? Would the Shield of the Church like to have a presence here?"
Both knights looked at the mountebank.
Bilbus shrugged. "Hey, I just got a whole town. I don't want something to happen to it now. Hey, Eric! Stop fawning over Bree and help me write these proclamations. I want both Orders to have buildings and land in Portsdale. When I'm done, we should head to Londoun. The Anlor Balsil Agralem are probably not moping around right now, and they already have too much of a lead on us."
Eric glanced at Breanna, shaking his head. He stood from the couch to stand over Bilbus's shoulder as the Lord del Cartach started writing his first decree.
The Chulainn's Spear arrived in Londoun nearly a week later. The ship nestled into its dock on the River Llwelyn, near the mouth of that river, with little difficulty. Another crisp, clear winter day was well underway, and puffs of mist blossomed into existence as the party stood on the deck, breathing the chilly air. The sky above was a hazy blue from the thousands of fires burning in the city. The ship's crew had already started to unload Farran and Acquisition 2, being careful to stay away from the irate warhorse that tried to nip at anyone who got close to the hoist.
A foot patrol of six maille-armored men walked along the waterfront, polearms carried against the shoulder. Another group milled a block away, by one of the harbor master's office buildings.
The party walked down the gangplank, Adria strapped onto a makeshift stretcher that the two knights carried. Rishala and Breanna had kept her fed during the trip by using a funnel and soups. Even so, the assassin looked gaunt.
As soon as the party was on the dock, Eric ran ahead to find a wagon. Dock workers looked curiously at the pale blonde woman on the stretcher, but none were willing to get close to her once they saw the menacing glare on Sturm's face. Breanna remained close to the stretcher as well, ignoring the odd looks she gathered -- she wore her armor, even though her face and hair would have fit a woman in a noble's dress far more appropriately.
Once Eric returned with a wagon, the knights carefully placed Adria's stretcher on the back of it.
"Where to, m'Lords?" the wagon driver asked.
Kasey answered. "Cathedral Treasa. Be careful not to hit any ruts. I wouldn't want her bruised during the ride." He climbed onto Farran's bare back.
The party loaded their supplies onto the wagon before it started to roll. Most of the party climbed onto the wagon, but Bilbus was already seated on his horse. He had quickly put the saddle onto Acquisition 2 while everyone else was climbing onto the wagon.
The foot patrol was passing the wagon. Sturm, who had not yet climbed onto the wagon, called out to the patrol.
"Yes, Sir Knight?" one of the guards asked.
"I have been out of town for some time. There seem to be more guards on patrol than I remember."
"We have had some problems in Londoun lately. The thieves and other scum have been much more of a problem lately. We have had daylight killings and assaults, so the King has recalled some of the highway patrols to help protect the city. Between the thieves and the orcs in Camelough, we should have more troops in town." He paused. "You are a Sun Knight?"
"Yes," Sturm replied.
"Sorry about your comrades."
Sturm glanced at the party. "What do you mean?"
"We heard about the Sun Knights who were killed by the traps the orcs made. It must have been pretty serious. Some of the Sun Knights in town left a while ago."
"Thank you," Sturm said. He climbed onto the wagon as the patrol continued their walk.
Eric asked Sturm, "Do you want us to drop you off at the Londoun Hold?"
Sturm shook his head. "I would like to go to Kasey's briefing to get the real story first. Then I'll go to the Hold and get their story."
Kasey spotted some young men milling around outside the harbor master's offices, wearing the uniforms of the Londoun Couriers. "Boys! Who will deliver a message for me?"
One of the couriers jumped forward. "I will, Sir Knight!"
"Good." Kasey flipped the young man a coin. "Deliver a message to Miss Ciara at my house. Tell her we are having guests, and we will be staying overnight." Kasey gave directions to his Londoun home. The young man nodded, scribbled a note to himself, and took off at a trot down the street.
The wagon wended its way towards the center of Londoun. The Cathedral Treasa was easy to see from a distance, towering over the three and four story buildings in the Cathedral District around it. The Castle Treasa, the Londoun stronghold of the Knights of Kells, stood adjacent to the cathedral, but the cathedral dwarfed the castle readily.
The square in front of the cathedral was not as densely populated as it would be later in the afternoon. Most of the traffic was on foot, servants or housekeepers running daily errands. The wagon stopped at the foot of the wide stairs leading to the tremendous double doors of the cathedral. Kasey jumped down from Farran and tossed some coins at the wagon driver, then helped Sturm carry Adria's litter up the stairs. Eric ran ahead to open one of the doors, and the rest of the party followed the two knights.
One of the priestesses in the cavernous cathedral quickly met the party in the atrium. She crossed the thirty-pace-wide prayer maze, concern plain on her face.
"What has happened?" she asked.
Bilbus answered. "She was in a duel. She was badly hurt. Adria has not awakened in two weeks, now."
"Bring her along. Follow me." She led them towards a side entrance of the main cathedral chamber.
Beyond the entrance was a hospital, adjacent to the cathedral. The Church of Kells had medical care facilities near all of their larger cathedrals, places where the infirm and injured could be treated with the help of priests and priestesses.
The priestess found a room for Adria, and directed the knights to place her on the bed within.
"I will get some doctors and priestesses in here to look at her. Not all of you need to remain."
"I'll stay," Bilbus said immediately.
"I will, too," Breanna added quietly.
The priestess nodded to Breanna before she left the room.
Kasey looked at his friends. "I need to check in at the castle. Do you want to meet at my place, since Miss Ciara is expecting us?"
Everyone nodded in agreement.
As Kasey started to leave, Sturm called out. "Wait. I'm going with you, so I know what's going on. Then I'll check in at the hold."
"Okay."
The two knights left.
Eric looked at Rishala. "We should provision for our trip. Even if we are heading up the Llwelyn, we really need to make sure we do not run out of supplies. I also want to make sure we all have our horses this time."
"I'll help," Rishala said.
"Make sure you have four weeks of provisions," Bilbus said. "Just in case."
Rishala and Eric left the hospital room, leaving Bilbus sitting on the edge of Adria's bed as Breanna stood against the wall, watching the two.
Sturm and Kasey's meeting with Sir Mikall had been long. Kasey had provided his typical enthusiastic review of the fights, and Sturm had detailed everything else: orcs controlled much of Clemendeev, they had sacked Citadel Altspire, and the dwarves had a lot of refugees in their northernmost valley. In exchange, Sir Mikall had updated Sturm on the conditions in Londoun. The thieves' guilds had formed alliances, and they were operating under the control of one person. Something had happened, and the alliances shattered. Fighting in the streets, murders, firebombings, and assassinations had made Londoun a dangerous place for several weeks, until the King had withdrawn a substantial number of his highway patrols.
Sir Mikall knew that someone important within the Knights of the Sun had been killed in Camelough, but he did not know the details. Some Sun Knights had left their hold in Londoun for a meeting in Sunkeep, but, again, Sir Mikall did not know details.
After the briefing, Kasey returned to his home. Sturm had continued on to the Londoun Hold to meet with his own commander.
The crashes and grunts of vigorous training greeted the Sun Knight as he stood at the entrance to the hold. Two younger men -- they looked like the two Sturm had dressed down so many weeks ago -- were standing at attention at the entrance. After a formal but cursory challenge, the two allowed Sturm to enter.
Inside the hold, Sun Knights trained on the practice pells and targets. Many of the targets had been in poor repair last time Sturm had visited, but they had been repaired or replaced. Much of the practice was sloppy -- it was clear that the training program had begun in earnest only recently.
A page ran towards Sturm, stopping at rigid attention a pace in front of the scowling Sun Knight. "Sir!" the page barked.
Sturm regarded the page. The boy had a proper uniform, and it had been carefully maintained. Compared to most of the knights in Hold Londoun, the page looked like a proper soldier.
"I want to see the commander of the hold, immediately. Tell him Sir Sturm Sunblade is reporting."
"Yes sir!" The page turned smartly and ran towards the building that housed the garrison commander's day offices.
He returned two minutes later to escort Sturm to the office, even though the Sun Knight clearly knew where he was going.
Sturm frowned when he entered the garrison commander's day office. Sir Gittoes was not at the desk. Instead, Sir Suanaigh, one of Sir Gittoes's lieutenants, sat at the desk.
"Sir Sunblade," Sir Suanaigh said in greeting.
"Is Sir Gittoes here?" Sturm asked cautiously.
"Sir Gittoes and Sir Yorwerth have been recalled to the Sunkeep to select a new Lord High Commander."
"I heard someone was killed at Camelough..."
Sir Suanaigh nodded. "Apparently, the orcs or drow left some magickal traps. One of them exploded, killing Lord High Commander Sir Leith and two of his aides. All of the garrison commanders were called back to Sunkeep, along with their lieutenants, to elect a new commander. Since someone has to remain behind to run the hold, Sir Yorwerth and I drew lots to choose who stayed. I lost."
Sturm digested the information for a minute. "I have some details about what happened with the thieves' guilds."
"We have heard a lot about their turf wars."
"They are having a 'turf war' because the man who had organized them is now gone." Sturm told Sir Suanaigh about Franz Stalgraf, the merchant who had been the senior Londoun operative for the Anlor Balsil Agralem. Stalgraf had organized the guilds into a single, unified underworld, and he had been steering the underworld into helping his Dark Prophecy Warriors. The party had stumbled across his plans, and they were able to capture him and turn him over to the Church.
The acting commander of the hold listened to Sturm's explanation patiently. When Sturm finished, he said, "Well, that explains why the fighting started when it did. This Stalgraf fellow must have been missing for about two weeks before the others realized there was no one in control. At least a lot of them were killed. Too bad about the innocents who were caught in the crossfire."
Sturm finished his briefing. "I will be leaving town again. I do not expect to return for a few weeks, at least."
Sir Suanaigh nodded. "You will prepare a report when you return to let your commander know where you've been?"
"I have every time."
The commander winced. Sturm had been reporting regularly to the commander, in writing, but those reports had rarely, if ever, been passed up the chain of command. The former Lord High Commander had reprimanded Sir Gittoes for failing to act on the reports.
Sturm remained standing. Finally, Sir Suanaigh said, "You are dismissed, Sir Sunblade."
Sturm saluted, then turned and left the office. He quickly left the hold to return to Kasey's house for some rest and dinner.
Several healers and priests had visited Adria's room during the afternoon. They had conferred with Breanna about the early treatment, and they had checked the wounds -- now little more than scars -- on her body. Bilbus had sat and watched them quietly from a chair next to Adria's bed, but they had few questions for him.
Late in the afternoon, one of the priests uttered a powerful prayer over Adria's comatose body. Bilbus could feel the Heka moving through the priest's body into Adria's, enough power to cause goosepimples to form on Bilbus's arms.
Adria's eyes opened slowly. She yawned and stretched, looking around in confusion. "Where am I?" Her voice was raspy and dry, and she coughed a couple of times.
Bilbus leaned forward as soon as the priest had moved away. "You're in the hospital in Londoun, next to the cathedral."
"What? Why are we in Londoun?"
"We didn't know when you would wake up, Adria. You were hurt pretty badly."
"What's happened? I remember fighting my father, and I remember falling afterwards. I thought I had died."
"No, you survived. Your father didn't." Bilbus updated Adria on what had happened during the last two weeks.
Adria tried to sit forward. The weakness that had accompanied her coma made it difficult, but she managed, with Bilbus's help.
"Gods, I'm hungry," she said.
"Bree tried to feed you. Do you know how hard it is to feed soup to someone who's asleep?"
Breanna left the room for a few minutes. She returned carrying a bedtray with heaps of food. Adria dug into the food ravenously.
"Bilbus?" Breanna asked.
"Huh?" Bilbus watched his wife eat.
"She's going to be eating for a while, and she will probably want to bathe, too."
"Yes!" Adria shouted around a mouthful of vegetables.
"And?" Bilbus prompted.
"And," Breanna said, "you need to get some rest. I will stay with Adria and help her out." She looked cautiously at Adria. "If that is okay?"
"Hmm? Oh, sure," Adria said as she grabbed a roll.
Bilbus stood. "If there's anything you need..."
"We're fine, Bilbus," Breanna said. "Go get some rest."
Bilbus left the hospital, heading to Kasey's house. When he arrived, he told everyone that Adria had recovered. There was still over an hour before the evening meal would be ready, so Bilbus waited impatiently in a sitting room, watching patrols walk past the house regularly. He tired of sitting and waiting, so he grabbed Rishala and left the house, dragging the protesting storyteller.
"Come on, Rishala," Bilbus insisted as he led the Caledonian through the streets of Londoun.
"Where are we going?" Rishala asked in protest.
"I need to find Twitchy. Something odd is going on. There are way too many patrols on the streets."
"Why me?"
"Because Eric is busy cooing over Bree's absence. She's at the hospital, and he's moping around Kasey's house like a lovestarved songbird." It wasn't true, but it sounded like a good excuse.
Rishala rolled his eyes. Eric's not acting that badly. Maybe there's something else Bilbus wants of me.
The Salty Anchor was in a seedier part of Londoun, a mile from any open body of water. The building had seen some renovations over the years, so it stood out in its neighborhood. The sign hanging over the door had a white anchor on a blue field, but it was so weathered that it could have been a gray anchor on a darker gray field.
Bilbus looked at the front of the tavern in dismay. There were some burn marks on the unfinished wood exterior, and some smoke damage above one of the windows.
"Odd..." Bilbus said absently as he walked through the door.
The interior was as Bilbus remembered it, some plain wooden tables and chairs, walls devoid of any real decor, and a bar in back. Behind the bar were two large tapped kegs. The one on the left had a small statue of a man perched on top of it. There were also a few assorted bottles and a large anchor on the wall. The anchor had started to rust, but it was still partially encrusted with large white crystals.
The bartender sat on the end stool of the bar, cleaning a mug. No one else was in the bar.
"Slow day?" Bilbus asked. Even though most of the clientele of the Salty Anchor worked nights -- it was an acknowledged neutral site for the various thieves' guilds and crime cartels of Londoun -- it was rarely empty when it was open.
The barkeep put down the mug and looked at Bilbus. "Slow? You have been out of town, haven't you?"
Bilbus sat on one of the other stools. "Well, yes, I have. I'm looking for a friend of mine. He usually is here, hard to forget. Talks really fast. Goes by 'Twitchy the Rat'."
"I know him. Haven't seen him for a few days." The barkeep stood up and walked behind the bar. He picked up the mug he had been cleaning and carried it to a shelf. "Want something to drink?"
Rishala spoke up, "An ale would be nice."
The barkeep walked over to the keg on the right. He placed the mug under the tap.
Bilbus coughed. Rishala glanced at the thief. Bilbus was mouthing "left" slowly at the story teller.
"I'd like ale from the left keg, please," Rishala said.
The barkeep put the mug under the other tap and filled it. He put the mug on the bar and slid it towards Rishala.
Bilbus continued his questioning as the Caledonian took a sip of the nutty brown ale. "So, what is going on in town? Looks like someone tried to torch this place."
The bartender turned to look at Bilbus. "Someone did. The head of the Heyns Family, Docco Heyns, was in here for a drink. Some guys from the Baulch Family tried to take him out by burning the place down and killing Docco. It didn't work, since Docco had some of his own boys waiting around outside. Still did some burn damage."
Rishala set his mug down for a moment. "I thought there was some sort of peace between the families and guilds." Bilbus glared at Rishala briefly.
The barkeep looked at the Caledonian. "There was. Everyone was united, working together for the first time. Then, the guy who ran things disappeared. After a couple of weeks, the guild masters and heads of the families started jockeying to become the new head of the city's guilds. It got really ugly really quick. There were firebombings, and daylight killings. I mean open attacks, like a bunch of guys shooting crossbows at someone. Even started killing bystanders."
Bilbus looked at Rishala. The Caledonian nodded: he was thinking the same thing. Franz Stalgraf had united the city's crime organizations very well, but, when the party captured him, there was a power vacuum in town. "The king increased patrols?" Bilbus asked.
The bartender nodded. "He did. But, to do it, he had to pull back a lot of his patrols on the roads outside of town. Merchants have had to hire more escorts for protection, and some things are getting more expensive."
Bilbus nodded. "Things are settling down?"
"Yes and no. We haven't had any open attacks lately, but more people are turning up dead in alleyways."
Bilbus stood up. "I see. Can you do me a favor?"
"Depends."
"Next time you see Twitchy, give him a message. Tell him 'Bilbus says that Portsdale is good'."
"Portsdale is good. Got it. You leavin' town, too?"
"Huh?"
"Some of the people are leaving town. Between the guilds fighting and the orcs, some people think Londoun isn't their place any more."
Bilbus and Rishala both said, "Orcs?"
"Sure! Word on the street is that they are in Camelough, and we fought them end of last year. What I hear, they ran off to get some backup, then they're coming to sack Londoun."
"And you believe this?" Rishala asked.
"I don't know. It might explain the extra troops in town. Maybe the guild fight just gives the king the excuse."
Rishala and Bilbus left the Salty Anchor. Bilbus again got ahead of Rishala, leading him through town.
"Now where?" Rishala asked, exasperation creeping into his voice.
"Stalgraf's place. He may have some information we can use to get control of the guilds."
"Are you crazy?"
Bilbus did not answer.
Twenty minutes later, Bilbus and Rishala stood at the front door of a three story building in the middle of a block of similar buildings. The placard next to the door read "Stalgraf Imports". The front office in the building was empty and dark.
Bilbus tried the door. "Locked," he said as he pulled some lockpicks from a pouch hidden in his belt.
"What, not going to wave your hand over the lock?" Rishala asked.
Bilbus scowled at Rishala, then put the picks into the lock. Keeping pressure on one, he used the other to try to feel the tumblers in the lock. After a minute of fumbling, the thief put his picks away and kicked the door.
"Hey!" a gruff voice called out behind him.
Bilbus turned and noticed a city patrol approaching.
Thinking quickly, Bilbus turned to Rishala and shouted, "Oh! You always treat me badly!" He slapped Rishala lightly on the face, then quickly walked away, turning down the first alleyway he saw.
Rishala followed him down the alley a couple minutes later. Bilbus was leaning against a brick wall, laughing.
"Nice improvisation," Rishala said.
"At least something works. I think I'm losing my edge. Maybe it's time for a new trade."
"Well, my Lord, I think something else is available."
Bilbus scowled at his friend, then continued down the alley. "If I remember, the second floor windows were unlocked. We should be able to climb in pretty easily."
Rishala followed him to the back of Stalgraf Imports. Bilbus started to draw his grappling hook before Rishala stopped him.
"Don't make any more noise," the older man admonished. "We can walk up the walls. No one is looking." Rishala channeled Heka, placing a weave on each of them.
Rishala and Bilbus crawled up the wall on all fours. Bilbus pushed the first window he reached open and crawled through. Rishala followed him in.
They were in the back of Franz Stalgraf's home, which occupied the second floor of the building. The interior smelled musty and abandoned; the party had turned Stalgraf over to the Church nearly two months ago. Some food in the pantry next to the window looked spoiled, and some dirty dishes were still on a table in the small informal dining room.
"No one's home," Rishala said.
Bilbus nodded and walked into the hallway. He stopped at an open door in the middle of the hallway and looked up the staircase within. It was dark.
The thief searched quietly through the apartment for a fueled lantern. Bilbus found one and removed the cover. He pulled a piece of flint and a steel striker from one of his belt pockets, then spent a minute trying to ignite the wick on the lantern.
"Stupid... How did we manage to control fire?"
Rishala looked at Bilbus incredulously. "You can't use flint and steel?"
Bilbus gave up trying. "I haven't needed to use it in a long time. I could just, you know, 'zap', and have a fire."
Rishala kneeled next to the lantern and lit it immediately, striking his own flint and steel.
Bilbus scowled at the Caledonian, then picked up the lantern and went up the stairs. Rishala followed behind cautiously.
The upper floor was abandoned as well. A bed, little more than a cot, was still against the front wall of the single room that filled the entire floor. A table still occupied the middle of the room. The books and alchemical materials that had once been in the room were gone, as was the gold inlaid pentacular circle that had filled the back of the third story.
"Guess someone already looted the place," Bilbus said. "They didn't leave anything but the furniture."
Rishala nodded. "Maybe there's something in his offices on the ground floor?"
Bilbus led Rishala back down to the apartment, then down the stairs there to the back office of the Stalgraf Imports offices. Shelves in the offices were bare, and a quick search through the desk revealed that it, too, had been emptied. Bilbus carefully sneaked through the door into the front office, moving slowly and looking out the front windows to make sure no one on the street was paying attention. He checked each of the desks, then joined Rishala in the back office.
"Nothing," Bilbus said. "Do you think the Church grabbed everything?"
"It would make sense. We did tell them what he was doing. Someone removed the pentacle and his books. We should get out of here, in case the Church is still guarding this building." Rishala unlocked the back door and checked in the alleyway.
"We should torch the building," Bilbus said as they walked out the back door of Stalgraf Imports.
"No!"
Bilbus looked quizzically at the Caledonian.
"Bilbus, you learned some really bad habits from those orcs." Rishala regarded the mountebank for a moment. "Come on. We need to get back to Kasey's."
Bilbus and Rishala walked through the streets of Londoun as the sun inched closer to the horizon. By the time they reached Kasey's house, dinner was ready.
Back to the previous chapter: Spires
Continue to the next chapter: Schisms
Back to the Book III Index.
Back to the Dark Mysteries Campaign Chapter Index.
Original Draft 17 November 2001
Contact for this page: JourneyMaster@BabylonByCandlelight.com