The Sage Seed Chronicles: The Unraveling (24 page)

Tempo did a rapid thump and said, ‘I’m all
for that. Just let me know.’ Erin could hear Lor’s customer’s
leaving so she hurried around front before he would trip over
something getting to her.

Erin held up a hand, to slow him down. “It’s
alright. Right now it is contained. The target was Holm, the
jeweler.”

“What!” He interrupted. “He isn’t a sage!”
She held up her hand again. “The mayor has taken Wras and Targ into
custody. Holm is going to make it, I think. He was unconscious
seconds after I got there and lucid if a bit feverish after using
Ree’s paste on him. We have to keep in mind that they don’t know
who the sages are. They have been killing anyone they suspect could
be different with special skills. I need to make a list of those
people who have died from sudden, non contagious fevers. I can
guess who delivered the killing item by the whereabouts of these
three. Lor, Bure is still out there.”

Lor had been calming down as she was speaking
but showed a flicker of alarm with her last statement. “Well, we’ll
deal with that problem as it presents itself. I want you to make
your list. I’ll look it over and see if I can add to it then when
the gather is over, in a little under an hour, I’ll show it to
Alliz for her information. Then we give it to the mayor.”

Erin got back into the wagon and got out a
piece of paper that came with her art kit. Giving it a lot of
thought she wrote:

Information to consider when talking to Targ
and Wras:

This is a list of people who have died by
sudden, non contagious fevers caused by a contact poison. The same
contact poison that was used in the attempted murder of Holm of
Sherroton. Possible links to the following men by confirmed
accounts or verifiable information that put them near that location
just before onset of lethal fevers.

Bure's victims
:

Ru of Sherroton

Robse of Sherroton

Shamra of Sherroton

Targ's victims
:

Zinar of Morraton

Drune by Macater River

assisted with Robse and Shamra

Wras's victims
:

Hormis of Sherroton

Auntie Jes of Morraton

Thera of Sherroton

Erin shrugged. She wasn’t a legist but she
knew that the list was worthless by itself. It would be useful only
if the mayor was aware that there were other deaths. If they were
lucky, the two might confess to part of this account. She got out
of the wagon and looked for Lor. He had taken down his awning and
was packing away his glow stones. She walked up to him and gave him
the piece of paper. “I can finish this if you want to go run this
by Alliz and see what she thinks.”

As he studied the paper his eyebrows went up.
“Thera?” Erin nodded. “She was old, wise and a gifted herbalist.
She was also the mother-in-law of tinker Jarrel. He was at her
bedside and had Bure and Targ covering his shop when my father came
in for a shovel. Wras was, at the time, up gathering herbs in the
mountains behind Sherroton. Near Hormis. I don’t know how Drune was
targeted but I can only assume that Targ approached him with a tool
of some sort.” She shrugged. I know that they can’t convict from
this list but maybe if they have this they can form their questions
differently. Who knows, they may have killed more.” Lor looked at
the paper again. “I’ll show it to Alliz.”

Erin continued to take down and pack away all
of Lor’s merchandise and display. She had a few hours until sunset
but Tempo could start his search early. She opened her mind to
Keir. ‘My friend, the Great One said that there were skunks in the
woods north east of here. I would like to give Tempo a chance to
locate some. Would you and your relatives keep an eye out for him
as he searches? We have stopped two of the bad men but the worst is
still free and we have Cob’s Uncle Jord to watch for.’

She heard his hunting call, ‘Of course. We
can hunt and watch the woods at the same time. You might want to
hide him until you get to the woods on the east side.’

‘Thanks, Keir.’ She put the last stone away
and went to the end of the wagon and thumped. Tempo’s head popped
up immediately and he thumped back then scampered over. She slid
the skunk inside her jerkin and made her way to the far side of the
commons. It was comforting to feel his warm body against her, even
briefly, after the events of the afternoon. Erin stepped inside the
tree line and let the skunk down. ‘Be cautious. Happy hunting! I
will leave my mind open. Stay in touch.’

Alliz and Lor approached her as she emerged
from the woods. “I am giving Tempo an opportunity to find skunks.
Keir and his family are keeping an eye out. Did you make any
changes to the list?”

Alliz shook her head. “It’s complete as far
as we know. Lor is going to show it to Bas. It is all we can do at
the moment.”

Lor headed for the city and Erin joined him.
They actually ran into Bas just inside the entrance. He looked at
them and raised his eyebrow. “You two just can’t stay away from me.
It is my charm, right?”

Lor grinned but didn’t answer. Erin cocked
her head as if considering his statement. “You’re correct. Your
personality is so magnetic we thought you could charm the mayor,
legist and the city elder in, at least, looking at this piece of
paper as they frame questions to put to Wras and Targ. If your
powers are not up to it, I suppose Lor could do it, for you.” Erin
said in her most respectful tone.

Bas smiled and held out his hand for the
paper. His face sobered and he shook his head. “I’ll need to be
careful how I introduce this. It is quite a list.”

Erin nodded asked, “How is Holm?”

Bas looked up from the paper he held. “He is
feverish but lucid and the healer feels that his temperature will
break sometime tonight. I’ll get this to the mayor.” Bas turned one
way and Lor and Erin turned the other way to leave the city.

They had just emerged from the city arch and
Erin said to Lor. “Do you know where the baker may be? I think we
need to talk to him before he decides to leave and weave his way to
the old foot bridge by Terresville. Will you back me up? I still
look like a scruffy boy so my credibility is less than an
adult.”

Lor looked at her intrigued and grinned.
“I’ll jump in as soon as I know where you are leading.” They turned
to the east side of the city’s outbuildings. Soon they found Cob
and Jord sitting down to an early dinner on the outskirts of the
commons. Lor walked up and said “May we sit down? The lad and I
have some delicate information and questions.”

At first Jord seemed to take offense then he
sighed and gestured to the spot in front of them to sit. “Does this
have to do with my wife’s family? I love her but they surely are a
trial.” Lor looked at Erin and she nodded that they could start
with that tack.

“This is confidential and you shouldn’t say
anything until the mayor and his council have come to a decision
but Targ and Wras have been taken into custody on a charge of
attempted murder.”

Jord went pale. “Who did they try to
kill?”

Erin answered, “Holm the jeweler.” She kept
on talking through his exclamation. “This was only attempted
murder. There is strong circumstantial evidence that they, with
Bure, have killed at least eight.”

Jord was silent for a minute the he said
softly. “Probably more. They are mean, clever men.” Lor said, “We
don’t know where Bure is but we don’t figure that he will be any
too pleased when he learns of this.”

Jord shook his head, “I don’t want to be
anywhere around when that happens. We were going to leave and make
our way to the foot bridge at Terresville but there is no way I
want to meet an angry Bure on that narrow trail. I think we will
stay here until the bridge is passable.”

Erin cleared her throat and gave a quick look
at Lor, as if to say, ‘okay, follow me’. “There is one more thing
that we could use your help on. We need some information on the
family and how they feel about... skunks.”

Jord gave a startled jerk. “Skunks?”

Lor picked up the thread. “I have read the
eyewitness account about how their mother died.”

He paused, but before he could go on Jord
jumped in. “So you heard about how a crazy skunk got into the house
and when their father Kald tried to get it outside, it sprayed him
in the face, blinding him. The spray was so toxic that their mother
died. Skunks are evil and dangerous!”

Lor blinked. “Ah, is that what your wife
remembers?”

Jord shook his head. “Oh no. She was a
newborn. She does have nightmares about a strong skunk smell and
yelling. Her brothers were eight and six when it happened. They’ve
told her all about it, for years, with great relish. She is
terrified of skunks.”

Lor thought over what he wanted to say. “What
did she say happened to her dad?”

Jord face became solemn but resolute. “He was
blinded by the skunk. He staggered back trying to shield his
children from the crazy animal and fell into the fire. He died of
his burns.”

Lor just looked at Jord. “Who told her all of
this?”

“Her brothers told her this several times. It
was a recurring childhood story. They were there and old enough to
remember!”

Lor said, “Jord. Do you trust your
brothers-in-law?”

The bakers eyes got large as he shook his
head. “Bure and Targ? No way! They are mean men who love to
intimidate. I wouldn’t trust them to give their sister a crust of
bread if she as starving!”

Lor gently asked, “Then why would you believe
their account of what happened?”

Jord blinked a few times. “Why would they lie
about it?”

Lor held Jord’s gaze, “Perhaps because their
story terrified Sadie and played upon her fears and the
nightmares.”

Jord was silent for a long time. “They are
sick enough to do just that! Are you telling me that that isn’t
what happened? Oh, Scrum! How could I believe them! I should know
better! I’ve even killed a skunk when I found one. Are you saying
that a skunk didn’t kill her mother?”

Erin finally spoke. “That is correct. A skunk
didn’t kill her mother. That isn’t what happened. I have read the
account in the archives in Terresville.” Lor looked at her
surprised. She nodded. “You can check what we are telling you next
time you get there. Her mother died of childbed fever. The healer
did everything she could to save her but the woman had been badly
abused and had just enough strength to birth her daughter. The
healer had a pet skunk that would accompany her on house calls.
Their father Kald flew into a rage that the healer didn’t save his
wife and that he was stuck with a house full of brats. Enraged he
started beating the healer. She fought back. Kald could not
tolerate a woman not meekly accepting punishment. He beat the
healer to death. Her skunk tried to protect her and sprayed Kald.
He beat the skunk into a bloody pulp. For killing the healer he was
banished to Obsidian. The boys did see as did a neighbor who
arrived on the scene at the very end. I guess that they admired
their father and his ‘strength’ and preferred their story to the
facts.”

Erin paused as Jord processed the story. “So
I will rephrase my question. Do you know how Bure, Wras and Targ
feel about skunks?”

Jord’s face was pale. “It’s a family sport
particularly in the last five, or so, years. They would come and
tell Sadie that they killed twenty three. Another time it would be
fifteen. The numbers were always large. They hate the animal.
Sometimes, though, it almost seems that they fear them as much as
she does. It seemed to give her some comfort so I decided to start
killing them also.”

Erin said, “Was the one skunk you killed, in
the woods just outside of Morraton?” He nodded and hung his head.
“Then you haven’t killed a skunk.” she said. He looked up at her.
“You hit my skunk friend, Tempo but he has fully recovered. Skunks
are important to our realm because they help keep the insect and
rodent population down. By killing them you have jeopardized that
balance. Convincing your wife of this may take some time as her
brothers have been torturing her with that nightmarish story for
years. But don’t take my word for it. Read the account
yourself.”

Jord was definitely looking ill. “I am so
sorry. I was so stupid. I should have seen that they were lying to
her.” he put his head in his hands.

Terran waited until Jord looked up. “Tempo is
out hunting now but if you would like to meet him I could arrange
it. The three men have done a lot of damage with their disregard of
life. We need to see what the council says. This is not over. I
thank you for your honesty. It was a help. And I am glad that we
could correct a big misunderstanding.” Lor and Erin stood and gave
them a respectful nod then left for their wagon.

Erin kept her ‘door’ tightly shut. She could feel emotions leaking
through, from the two cousins, and they were becoming
terrified.

The questioning, in the mayor’s office had
been going on for hours. At first it was all bluster and denial.
Both Targ and Wras were arrogant in their contention that the
charges were trumped up. Bas had knocked on the door and had a
whispered conversation with the mayor and the legist. The three
stepped out of the office, leaving Targ and Wras with the city
elder and a few large loggers, and continued the discussion in
muffled tones. A piece of paper had been passed around and further
whispers had ensued. The mayor had called his assistant to get two
of their fastest runners. They arrived in moments and were promptly
sent out to make all speed. One to check easterly at Robse’s cabin
and the other north to Hormis’s place. The two leaders further
spoke to the healer about Ru, Thera and the status of Holm then
left the inner city. They were seen in the tinker’s shop speaking
with Jarrel and his wife, who had just come by to help him at the
end of the gather. When the mayor and the legist returned to the
inner city their faces were grim.