Fredrik walked into Niki’s suite and closed the door. “Miranda said you wanted to see me, Niki,” Fredrik opened. “I was in the study. You can come see me anytime you want. Is there a problem?”
“A problem?” she snipped. “Why should there be a problem? I’ve done as you told me and not pestered the servants. Now every time that damn Alicia comes in here she has a smirk on her face. It is one thing not to pester the servants, but quite another to be laughed at by them. I really don’t understand why you pamper them. We should fire the lot and get servants that are appropriately trained. I have waited all of my life for my destiny to be fulfilled and now that it is within my grasp, you want to spoil it for me.”
“Spoil it!” Fredrik remarked incredulously. “You can’t be serious. We are set up as Lord and Lady of the Manor at seventeen. This is a dream come true. If some writer made a story up about this happening, nobody would accept it as anything but fantasy. If the old sea captain had any children to receive his inheritance, do you realize how old they would be? Niki, we have got it made!”
“I don’t know how you can be so happy,” she pouted. “The servants act like they own this place and you think that you are the Lord. How long before the people in the streets start laughing at us?”
“Niki, I don’t care if the whole town laughs,” declared Fredrik. “We are rich and they are not. As soon as Orthan liquidates some of the out-holdings, we will have more money than we know what to do with. The people in the town will come around. I have a meeting with Captain Grecho this morning. Imagine that. The Captain of the Mercenaries coming to pay call on me. You said you wanted a private army, well, this is the man to start with.”
“But everything is moving so slowly,” Niki complained. “The people should already recognize me as their queen and you have me worrying about how I treat the servants. And why is the butler liquidating anything? It is our property and you are letting some old scam artist handle our finances.”
“We’ve been through this before,” Fredrik said impatiently. “Orthan knows more about the finances than I can learn in a year. It is only natural for him to handle the books.”
“I think you are just being selfish,” Niki exploded. “You do not really care if I ever become queen. You have some plot with the servants to cash in all of the assets and then desert me here with no support. That’s why you spend evenings in the study plotting with Orthan.”
“Okay,” Fredrik conceded, “I promised not to tell a soul, but I will explain everything. The morning after we arrived, Orthan cornered me in the study. He explained that the servants have served the old sea captain for many years and they knew for a fact that the man had no brothers or sisters.”
“The nerve of the man speaking that way to his Lord,” Niki admonished.
“Niki,” Fredrik pleaded, “please pay attention. I was not his Lord and he knew it. If Amos had no brothers or sisters, he certainly could not have any nephews or nieces.”
“Then why didn’t he go to the authorities?” Niki asked.
“Because,” Fredrik explained, “if there was no heir to become Lord of the Manor, there would be no jobs for the servants. Orthan saw a way for all of us to share in Lord Alrecht’s misfortune. He promised to have me legally accepted as Lord Alrecht’s nephew and heir if I would make certain concessions to the servants. I promised to allow him to handle the finances and to treat the servants with respect and kindness. It really is a good deal for all of us.”
“I can’t believe that you were really taken in so easily,” she chided. “You allowed the Lord to be dictated to by servants’ demands?”
Exasperated, Fredrik sat down. “The Lord was not dictated to by servants, Niki. A young boy was offered a scheme by some servants that allows him to become rich and assume the title of Lord which does not belong to him. One word from any of the servants and we would be running for our lives.”
“But now that you have legal title,” Niki schemed, “you can get rid of them and it will be only servants’ words against the word of the Lord.”
“I have no intention of going back on my deal, Niki,” Fredrik insisted. “I have no need to. From what Orthan says, the estates are plentiful and we will have more wealth than we can spend. If the servants had any idea that I would not honor my pledge, I am positive that they could ruin us. Please, just keep being pleasant to the servants and everything is going to be better than you could ever hope for. I have to see Captain Grecho now, but we will talk more of this later.”
Fredrik rose and left and Niki just sat there lost in her own little world of scheming. Hopefully, the meeting would not take long and he could convince Niki to play along with the servants. Fredrik walked to the study and Captain Grecho was already there and Orthan was dutifully serving him a glass of brandy. “Ah, the Lord of the Manor, Lord Wason. Sir, this is Captain Grecho of the Cidal Mercenary Company. If you have no further need of me, Lord Wason, I will withdraw and await your call.”
“Thank you, Orthan, that will be fine,” Fredrik said. “Captain Grecho, I am pleased to make your acquaintance.”
“Lord Wason,” the Captain greeted, “I apologize for not coming sooner, but I had a small matter of contract negotiations to take care of. I wish to offer my sincerest condolences on the loss of your uncle. I want you to know that your uncle was certainly not considered a sorcerer by the people of this town. The townspeople have no stomach for magic and would never have put up with a Lord who even condoned its use, never mind practiced it. No, I feel sure that the charges were merely expedient to the Black Devils to have their way. Certainly, if my company had found out what they were up to, we would have slain the bunch of them.”
Fredrik gulped as he nodded his head. The Captain talked on for an hour and a half, welcoming him to town and explaining as much about Cidal as he could. He offered the services of his company to the Manor if the need arose and thanked him for the Manor’s generous help in the past. Fredrik half listened as he fretted about Niki’s temper and her foolish willingness to use magic carelessly. At the end of the discussion, Captain Grecho demanded that Lord Wason accompany him to review the fitness of his Company and see the plans he had for enlarging his garrison. It was clear to Fredrik that to refuse would be starting the relationship off on a very bad foot.
Fredrik informed Orthan that he was going out and caught a glimpse of Miranda and Alicia arguing as he passed through the entrance hall. Fredrik began to wonder again if his life wouldn’t be simpler without women in it. Orthan also shook his head at the two maids and went out to get away from it as much as he did to check on the horses.
Miranda looked flustered. “Alicia, you have to curb your temper more. I know the woman is difficult, but even you have to admit that she has been better these last few days.”
“Aye, she’s been better,” pouted Alicia. “She’d be better still if you took care of her. If I go in there with a smile, she complains that I’m laughing at her. If I don’t smile, she complains that I’m scowling at her. Either way, she treats me as if I were a dog. Master Wason and Master Alrecht never had any problems with me. I do my job all right, I do.”
“Your work is fine, Alicia,” soothed Miranda. “If I suddenly take your place, the Lady will complain about you running the place and that will start another row. I will talk with Orthan about giving you a holiday. Perhaps a bit of time away from each other will calm you both down. I am sure that Lord Wason will readily agree.”
“Well, I could use a bit of a holiday,” Alicia cheered. “A couple of extra pence would help a bit, too,” she pushed.
Miranda nodded as the bell rang again. “But, first, you will have to finish today at least. Whatever she throws at you, just bite your tongue and swallow it. We have a good thing going here and I’ll not have you spoiling it.”
“Yes, Miranda,” Alicia said as she scurried up stairs to answer Niki’s bell.
Alicia knew she was in trouble when she entered Niki’s suite and the woman was standing there tapping her arm with a grim determination on her face. “My Lady rang?” Alicia said.
“Yes, I rang and you took long enough to get here,” scowled Niki. “Where is my lunch? I asked for lunch an hour ago.”
“Begging My Lady’s pardon,” Alicia trembled, “but you said you didn’t want any lunch today.”
“Fool!” shouted Niki. “You offered me crab meat or salmon for lunch and I said if I couldn’t have lobster, I wouldn’t eat. Don’t you know a demand for lobster when you hear one? Do you expect me to starve while you and the others stuff your pockets with my money?”
Alicia lost it and exploded. “How do you expect me to read your mind?” shouted Alicia. “You said you wouldn’t eat and now you wonder where your lunch is? And as for the money, you don’t have a pence to your name. You are here at the sufferance of Lord Wason and mercy knows why he puts up with you.”
Niki’s face grew bright red and before she knew what she was doing, she straightened her arms and lashed out with a Force Bolt. Alicia flew back and was suspended about a foot off the floor with her back pressed hard against the wall. The fury slowly drained from Niki’s face and after a few moments she released the spell with the intention of apologizing to the maid. As soon as the maid had her feet on the ground, she spun and ran out of the room screaming at the top of her lungs that there was a witch in the house.
Alicia ran down the stairs and out the side door of the mansion, almost colliding with Orthan. Orthan grabbed the woman and Miranda appeared through the door.
“Whatever is going on?” demanded Miranda.
“I have no idea,” confessed Orthan as the maid continued screaming, but no longer understandable. Orthan shook the woman to get her to come to her senses and Fredrik arrived just in time to see Miranda slap her.
“What is the problem?” Fredrik asked.
Alicia looked at him with eyes wide with fear. “She’s a witch.” She screamed. “She’s a witch and she tried to kill me. I have to report her. Let me go.”
Fredrik and Orthan eyes locked. “Miranda, hold her until I get back,” Orthan commanded and dragged Fredrik inside.
“There is going to be great trouble,” Orthan confided. “Many things we could cover up, but this is not one of them. The Company will be out for blood. They may not bother you if you can prove that you did not know, but they will kill her, for sure.”
Fredrik nodded sadly. “Orthan, I want you to detain her as long as possible. It won’t be for very long because her screaming was quite evident from the street. If I die, you are out of a job and I am out of a life. Neither of us wants that. I am going on a long trip. Handle everything while I am gone. If I do not come back, just continue as if you expected me to be gone for a very long time. You will think of something; at least you will be cared for. As for Niki, say that she became possessed after some bad food. Make any excuse you can think of. I will get her far away from here. Tell the Mercenaries that I was chasing her south, trying to catch her and kill her. The Captain will believe that. Throw saddles on the two fastest horses and I’ll get our little witch down here as quickly as I can.”
“I’m truly sorry, Sir,” responded Orthan. “I’ve grown to like you. We really pulled off a good one and I think we could do more. Do come back, your Manor will be waiting.”
Fredrik smiled at the old man and ran up the stairs. Niki was waiting at the top of the stairs with the two travel bags that Fredrik had demanded they keep ready. “I’m sorry, Fredrik, I couldn’t help myself.”
“I know, Niki,” he stated sadly. “We probably didn’t belong here anyway. We have to hurry. They will kill you on sight.”
They each hefted one bag and hurried down the stairs and out the back door towards the stables. Orthan was standing ready with two horses and a sad face. He helped Niki up onto one of the horses and she bent and kissed his head. “I’m sorry, Orthan, I guess I made a mess of everything. I thought you were all the enemy, but I heard what you said to Fredrik while I was at the top of the stairs. Forgive me.”
Fredrik mounted up and instructed Niki to ride as fast as she could northward. After she took off, Fredrik followed at a distance that might look like he was chasing her if anyone was looking. After they got a mile out of town, Fredrik caught up with Niki and they took a small trail westward to get away from the road.
Arik and Tedi finished up their sword practice and sat down leaning against the wagon wheel. Garth hadn’t been seen in an hour and they were bushed from the exertion of their mock battle with wooden swords. Garth’s instructions over the past few days had been unending. When they were too tired to practice swordplay and too sore to practice riding, Garth would teach them about tracking or which type of plant life was edible and which was poisonous. He was a merciless instructor. If the boys didn’t learn the lesson to his expectations, he started the lesson over again until they got it right. Several times Tedi threatened to walk away, not in front of Garth, of course, and Arik had persuaded him to remain. Arik seemed to revel in the fighting skills while Tedi was more interested in the woods lore. Both of the boys enjoyed tracking and riding. Neither of them enjoyed the task of chopping firewood, but Garth was insistent that it would develop the very muscles they would need in swordplay.
The wagon shook slightly as Kalina exited the wagon on the opposite side from the boys. “You have been gone longer than is normally necessary,” Kalina could be heard saying. “Is there something amiss?”
“It is very puzzling,” said a voice that the boys recognized as Garth’s. “I am sure that someone is following us. All of the signs are there. They are not excellent trackers and stray off the path now and then, but there can be no mistaking that they follow us.”
“Can you tell who it is?” Kalina asked with a touch of worry in her voice.
“That is the puzzling part,” conceded Garth. “I circle around them to determine who they are and no one is there, yet I am positive that my skills are not failing me.”
Arik’s mouth dropped open at the statement. Arik had begun to believe that Garth could track a fly across the night sky with the skills and tricks he had been teaching the boys. For him to admit that someone was following them and he could not find them defied the imagination.
“How many days now?” Kalina asked.
“Three days,” Garth stated. “They seem to know where we stop each night, but they never come close enough for their fire to be discovered. “I have also varied our heading several times each day and always they follow. There are times when they lose our track, but they always manage to pick it up again with some uncanny luck.”
“How are the boys coming along?” Kalina asked, suddenly changing the subject.
“They spend way too much time resting and listening to other people’s conversations,” Garth said sternly.
Arik and Tedi snapped their heads up and saw Garth staring at them. They both scrambled to their feet. “It was not our intention to listen,” Arik spat out with a sheepish grin. “We were too tired to continue with our swordplay and you had not returned. We only meant to rest a while.”
“Tired, are you?” growled Garth. “If that doesn’t sound like a plea to cut some firewood, I’ve never heard one. Get moving.”
Tedi stood to argue and Arik ran into him as he turned to beat a hasty retreat. Both boys tumbled to the ground and when they finally untangled themselves, Garth was gone again.
Tedi rose and brushed himself off. “Why is he always so mean?” questioned Tedi. “We weren’t doing anything wrong and he gives us punishment. We already have more wood they we can possibly burn. I’m ready to be on my way.”
Arik chuckled and turned to his friend. “You just don’t listen that well,” smiled Arik. “One of the first days that we were with him, he described how the army handles new recruits. That is what he considers us. He is breaking us down to be obedient. When he is confident that we know how to follow orders, he will begin building us up to lead. I don’t think he means for us to lead, but that is the way the army taught him to train. Remember, he gets nothing out of training us. As you just pointed out, he doesn’t need the wood we are about to chop. We need the discipline and muscle building. He knows we are tired and he is forcing us to go beyond our own thoughts of endurance. Come on, it is not going to kill us.”
Tedi grumbled about never having volunteered for any army as he followed Arik towards the woodpile.
The next morning the wagon never moved. Garth started the boys off with their morning workout and after breakfast the training continued. Garth observed the boys’ archery skills and then gave them pointers on improving their accuracy as well as the speed required to reload another arrow. After archery practice, it was swordplay until the boys were exhausted. While they were recuperating he taught them tricks with a rope and the various type of knots and their uses. When they were somewhat refreshed it was back to swordplay. The next rest period was assigned to horse care and covering their tracks in the forest.
The routine continued until about an hour before dinner when Garth set them to more swordplay and disappeared. Garth returned just as Kalina was serving a dinner of pork and carrots with a green pea soup. Arik had downed the hog himself during one of the tracking sessions the day before and that had led to a lesson in butchering. The boys were almost too tired to eat. Every other day was broken up by the necessity of moving the wagon from one campsite to another, but this day had been brutal.
Garth sat down and took his plate from Kalina without a word. Everyone ate in silence until the meal was over. Garth, as usual, lit his pipe after dinner and gazed at the boys before he spoke. “Whoever they are, they did not move their camp today. It would appear that they wish to know where we are going.”
“Where are we going?” demanded Tedi. “Arik and I had plans to reestablish ourselves in another town, but since we have joined up with you, we have had no idea where we are heading.”
“Where were you heading?” Kalina asked.
Tedi glanced at Arik and the taller boy just shrugged. “We weren’t sure,” Tedi said. “Just some place south of Lorgo. Any town that would accept us as apprentices would have been acceptable.”
“Have you given any thought to changing your names?” Kalina inquired. “There can be little doubt that your names are now being circulated along the coast.”
Tedi blushed but stated defiantly, “Of course we have. Surely you do not think us so stupid as to announce ourselves in each village?”
“Certainly not,” Kalina replied dryly. “I think you should shave your face every morning until your facial hairs stiffen, then you should grow beards. It will make you look older.”
Now it was Arik’s turn to blush. Tedi at least had the start of some facial hair though it did not require any shaving, but Arik had not a hint of any. “I don’t think I could grow a beard,” admitted Arik.
“Sure you can,” Kalina insisted. “Follow my instructions and in a few weeks you will have a fine face of hair. The single, most important thing that you two can do to avoid close inspection is to be older and wiser. Garth’s lessons will help you only after the inspection has already been too close.”
“Why are the Dark Riders after us?” Tedi asked. “Master Clava related the tale that Garth mentioned to him, but it all sounds ridiculous.”
“The tale is not ridiculous,” Kalina stated sternly. “It is to be taken with deadly seriousness. The Dark One is real and his interest in children born in the year of the Collapse is real. If the Dark One can destroy certain children born that year, he will reign for a thousand years at which time the Great Demon, Alutar, will be released from his prison to rule forever. If he cannot locate these certain children, he can destroy all of the children born that year and still succeed in his goal. The threat is quite real.”
“How can he tell which children are the ones whom he seeks?” Arik asked.
“I am not sure,” sighed Kalina. “There are many prophecies that deal with the Collapse, or the Darkness as these times are called, but they are confusing at best. Tell me about your own family, Tedi. What do you know of your parents and their brothers and sisters?”
Tedi’s eyes narrowed and he stared at Kalina with barely concealed suspicion. “Why do you want to know about my family?” he asked.
Kalina met his gaze evenly. “Are you ashamed of your family?” she quipped, “or are you embarrassed that you do not know about them?”
“I am not ashamed of my family,” Tedi asserted. “I just want to know why you want to know. We know practically nothing about you and Garth and you expect us to tell you everything. You could be working for the Dark One for all we know. The fact that you killed some Dark Riders means nothing to me. If these children are as important as you say, I am sure that the Dark One would sacrifice some men to find the right children.”
“Fair enough,” Kalina smiled. “I look for anything that stands out from the ordinary. The necklace you are wearing is finely crafted and worth more than your entire town could scrape together. Yet you claim to be a simple fisherman’s son. I merely want to know how you came by it. If your uncles or aunts were wealthy nobles, it would not be so outstanding anymore. That is why I ask.”
“You still didn’t say who you and Garth are,” reminded Tedi.
“How many Dark Riders do you need us to kill before you will believe that we do not serve the Dark One?” asked Kalina. “A hundred? A thousand? Ten thousand? If you think we serve the Dark One, no number of dead Dark Riders will ever convince you. If we wanted you dead, you would have been dead a thousand times already. You will have to come to trust us for ourselves. If you are not there yet, then decisions will have to wait.”
“Hope that whoever is following us, allows us time to wait,” Garth remarked glumly.