Shadowmage: Book Nine Of The Spellmonger Series (51 page)

The color was a recent adaption of the basic enchantment, and Rondal found it useful.  It was annoying to sit in front of a mirror just waiting for someone to use it – this way one could be working across the room until you saw the light that indicated a messenger.  Rondal waved his hand over the light, and the surface of the water cleared until it showed the reflection of Master Hance on the it.

“Good evening, Sir Rondal,” the master thief said, nodding his head. 

“Master Hance,” Rondal said, returning the bow.  “What is the news from Enultramar this evening?”

“The fleets have embarked on raiding, the fields are planted, and the sun is getting hotter by the day,” he remarked.  “The Three Censors are petitioning the Count of Rhemes for additional security, after the theft at the Tower Arcane.  Apparently you took most of their operating capital, and they barely have enough left to pay their guards.  Count Vichetral executed three nobles for treason, when they tried to cling to prerogatives established by the late Duke, and demand an end to the trade in slaves that beggars their own people.  Apart from that, it has been relatively quiet along the Mandros since you two left Enultramar.”

“Sadly, things have been busier, here,” Rondal sighed.  “The Spellmonger’s wife, Baroness Alya, was wounded in a magewar, and lies in silent repose, with her husband at her side.”

“A magewar?” asked Hance, suspiciously.  “With whom?”

“The Baron and Baroness of Greenflower,” supplied Rondal.  “They were conspiring with enemies of the state – and all of humanity, actually – and attacked Master Minalan.  They stole some of his magical stones, and nearly killed his family.”

“Sweet Darkness!  Did he prevail?”

“We did,” Rondal acknowledged, grimly.  “But at cost.”

“Were you wounded?” prompted Hance.  “My daughter will insist on knowing.”

“Only slightly,” grimaced Rondal, unwilling to glamorize his part in the battle.  “I’ll make a full recovery.  I’m recuperating in Sevendor, now.  How is Gatina?” he asked, hesitantly. 

Hance regarded him thoughtfully through the watery spell.  “She is well,” he said, carefully.  “But she is . . . preoccupied with thoughts of her new lover.”

Rondal blushed, despite himself.  He had not intended to discuss the details of his relationship with anyone, and now he’d not only mentioned it to Olmeg, but was discussing it now with her father.

“Which brings me to my next item,” Hance continued, briskly.  “Apart from our other business, Sir Rondal, it appears as if Gatina’s fascination with you is lingering.  In fact, it seems to be getting worse.”

Rondal winced.  “Sorry about that, my lord!”

“It is not
your
doing,” sighed the thief.  “I have a spirited daughter, who resembles her mother in that fashion more than I do.  I am used to her outrageous ways and her willingness to obsess about her craft.  But there is more to courting Gatina than merely dancing and drinking in some lovely cottage,” he said, darkly, evidently all too aware of the luscious few days alone with Gatina he’d enjoyed.  Considering all they had done in the little cottage, Rondal suddenly became concerned that Master Hance was acting the vengeful father over his daughter’s virtue. 

But Hance’s consideration was less lethal – he supposed.  “A mother who is passing eager to meet the young man who has managed to captivate our kitten as completely as you have.”

“Sir, I assure you I have
not
encouraged—”

“Oh, I know,” Hance interrupted.  “I do not blame
you
for her infatuation.  She has always been a willful child, more apt to challenge than direction.  But Gatina is not a flighty ingénue, my lord.  She is dedicated to her craft.”

“One of the things I appreciate about her,” Rondal nodded, guardedly.

“I, as well.  But if she’s set her cap on you, Sir Rondal, I hope you understand if I must investigate her longings and the man who inspires them.  It is a father’s duty.”

“I understand completely, my lord,” Rondal nodded.

“I am unsure that you do,” Hance said, frowning.  “I like you, lad; you seem to be a trustworthy and intelligent man, and driven to duty.  An admirable knight in a world full of chivalric disappointments.”

“Thank you, my lord!”

“Yet,” Hance continued, “that does not eliminate my duties as Gatina’s father.  There are plenty of admirable knights in the world.  My daughter has eyes for only one.”

The threat implicit in the statement was both subtle and profound.  Rondal felt like dodging it, but he knew that Master Hance would likely be suspicious of such a tactic.

“Speak plainly, Sir,” he prompted.  “What question would you put to me?”

“Just what are your feelings and intentions in regard to my daughter, Sir Rondal?” Master Hance asked, formally.

“My lord, I have only the highest respect and greatest of affections for Gatina anna Salaines,” he said, feeling his entire life change as he said the words.  “While I am currently restrained by oath, my heart and my mind both aspire to her.”

“And this is not mere affectation in order to secure our assistance for Duke Anguin?”

Rondal sighed.  “Master Hance, while I am considered a reasonably intelligent strategist and a favorite for suicidal missions, I assure you that I have no talent for such manipulations in my personal life.  I was as surprised by Gatina’s interest in me as anyone, and after the shock of her pursuit waned, I discovered myself enchanted by her.”

“That still does not satisfy a father’s worries,” Hance said, shaking his head.  “Should you prove callous with her heart, or foreswear her for another while she yet loves you, friend or not, we shall have words, Sir Rondal.  And in my House, when a father takes issue with a lad over his daughter, traditionally it is resolved in one – permanent – manner.”

Rondal swallowed.  But he answered as bravely as he could.  “My lord, my intentions toward Gatina are nothing but honorable,” he stated, as clearly as he could.  “And in truth, as intimidated as I am by you right now, I am far, far more concerned over
her
reaction to my unfaithfulness than yours.”

That caught Hance off-guard and he laughed unexpectedly.  “As well you should, Sir Rondal.  For a vengeful father is but a shadow of the darkness a heartbroken girl can conjure . . . and when that girl is adept as my daughter, I would consider
carefully
before breaking her heart.”

“Understood, my lord,” Rondal nodded.  “Then . . . you have no objection to me courting Gatina?”

“Objections?” he grinned.  “You are the first man she’s fallen for.  I was worried I would have to rely on Atopol and his brother for grandchildren, so choosy was Gatina over the quality of her husband.  But she has surprised me and her mother by the quality of her choice.  Do not destroy that perception, Sir Rondal,” he warned.  “My daughter is happy, in a way I never thought I’d see her.  For whatever reason she wants you.  Treat that desire with respect and due attention, and we will have no issues between us.”

“Sir, you realize that if Gatina’s affections are fulfilled, then—”

“Then you’ll be my son-in-law?” Hance supplied.  “Why yes, Sir Rondal, it has occurred to me.  And while marrying my daughter someday might make her happy, I assure you that it will only begin a far more detailed scrutiny of your life by her mother and I.  You will not merely be marrying my daughter.  You will be marrying into my family, a family with a long and storied history of taking extreme actions to protect itself.”

“I would expect nothing less, considering the fine daughter you have both raised.”

“Wise words, Sir Rondal,” Hance said, grinning.  “And I’m not unsympathetic.  Gatina’s maternal grandfather was a blacksmith, her grandmother a Calrom witch . . . and Minny was the best thief I’ve ever met, inside my family or out.  I love her dearly. 

“But when
her
father gave this same speech to
me
, he ended it with a handshake that nearly broke my fingers, and a far more dire and explicit warning of what would happen if I chanced to break his daughter’s heart.  He was not a subtle man,” he added. “And the words ‘beat your face across my anvil until the white meat pops out’ were used.  Surely you are a subtle enough wizard to understand our position without me resorting to such crude imagery?”

Rondal sighed.  “Yes, my lord.  And if I was in your position, I would have the same response.  I can only vow to treat your daughter’s heart with as much care as I can.”

“Then we have an understanding,” Hance sighed.  “Good.  Her mother will be pleased. 

“But you, Sir Rondal, are now under
my
eye . . . and the Spawn of Shadows has a thousand eyes,
far
beyond Enultramar.  Betray my daughter or our family . . . and you will
pray
for the relatively quick death of having your brains bashed out over an anvil. 

“Now . . . let’s go over this preliminary list of potential confederates.  I think we have some very promising names, here . . .”

Chapter Twenty-Four

A Conspiracy Of Cats

The broad fields and orchards of the Coastlands provinces provided the early Magocracy’s nobility with the resources they needed to contend with the Sea Lords.  While the latter were far more concerned with conquest and prizes at sea, the Coastlords sent from Merwyn and Vore were learned men of great patience and practicality, compared to the rovers and raiders of the shore.

When the Count of Falas finally stood against the tyranny of the Viscounts, he raised an army from among his own servants and retainers, and struck at the Sea Lords where they did not expect it.  For while the brave mariners of Enultramar were peerless on the waves, they had little experience with fighting a disciplined force on land, and were defeated in one engagement after another until the Count of Falas was acknowledged Master of the Fields, presumably co-equal with the Sea Lord’s Master of the Waves.

Yet the strength of the Count of Falas was not in his army, though it was greater than the Sea Lords; it was in his governance, which encouraged development and achievement over hereditary rank or position.  Thus he could improve the quality of his troops and his servants while the Sea Lords were condemned to follow the same hereditary leaders who lead them into one disastrous coastal battle after another.

The Early History of Alshar

Unknown Authorship

While the wizards warred in Castal, in Alshar cats crept through the night. 

Atopol and Gatina had devoted the resources of their House, to the effort, with their father’s support.  The rebels to the rebellion now had a secret headquarters, of sorts, and Lord Hance had expanded the scope of the conspiracy to many other family members of the secretive house.  Coordinating the intelligence gathering himself, Hance had a growing account of which of the great houses supported Anguin’s return, and which were opposed.

But Gatina had not forgotten the Rats.  She’d been investigating dozens of leads across the Great Bay and the Coastlands, studying the notes the knights provided from their expeditions, learning as much as she could about their clandestine enterprises, who were the players, and where the centers of power were.  As her account grew she passed the information to her father, who was looking for patterns that the conspiracy could exploit.  She was not the only one invested in the effort, but she was clearly committed to the mission more than anyone else.

The basic plan that Gatina proposed was admirable, Rondal knew.  It also depended heavily upon magic – for which he was prepared – and upon the avarice of their foes (which was a point of pride for them).  From that basic premise, the two of them had developed a basic idea of how to trick the Brotherhood into doing most of the work for them.

That was not easy.  The Brotherhood had become aware of the shadow war the Estasi Order was waging against it, though they had few details yet on their foes.  Rellin Pratt, after enjoying a few weeks of active enmity of the Brotherhood, had finally convinced someone important that maybe he hadn’t destroyed the crew of slavers’ headquarters in Galvina, and that there were indeed secret foes fighting against the Brotherhood.  After the heist at the Tower Arcane, that became more plausible. 

In fact, the Estasi Order was getting credit for things it wasn’t even doing against the Rats.  Gatina reported that ‘those godsdamned warmagi’ were usually blamed when something went wrong now – and a lot of things were going wrong with the Brotherhood, these days.  Since the rash of raids and slaughters in the spring the crews were cautious, sometimes to the point of paranoia. 

Since Gatina was harassing them secretly herself, that was probably justified, Rondal decided.  His admirer not only gathered information in a variety of disguises, she was using magic and mayhem to obstruct and confuse communications and relations between the far-flung crews.  Thanks to her, almost a dozen Rats had killed each other in the ensuing feuds and duels.

Much of the plan they put together by Sympathy Stone.  It was both simple and elaborate, and would satisfy several goals at once.  As it required a fair amount of outside assistance, Rondal was forced to call upon one of Master Min’s most adept agents, the footwizard Iyugi.