To Be A Maestro (The Maestro Chronicles) (53 page)

He watched as Daniel touched the hull of the Wager and then focused on the mud and rocks on the right side of the small lake, gradually making
the body of water wider. The more boats he makes the larger the lake would eventually be. Topaz light formed in the shape of the boat, drawing mud into the image, and converting the substance to match that of the original. Simon marveled over the speed in which the Seven-bolt accomplished the task. Captain Tarpon and his crew applauded and Admiral Gina Dukane whispered in Daniel’s ear. He nodded and then the name, Cleaver, appeared on both sides of the bow. Simon figured the patrol boat would in deed cut through the water swiftly.

By the time Daniel brought them back to the Northland Holding, it was time for Simon to check in on
Chester’s progress. Simon entered the study, the ever present squad with him, and focused his awareness at the falcon, who was winging his way west through the azure blue, and over dense woods. The caravan from Aakadon came into view, he circled the riders once so Simon could memorize the area, and then continued on over spans of wild terrain and was exhausted by the time he flew across the Tollus River. Simon encouraged him to spiral down and perch on the branch of a cypress.
You have done well my friend. Rest as long as you like and fly whenever you will.
The falcon sent back a strong desire to rest and also a sharp image of the area around the tree.

“Sergeant Gabler, stand ready, we are about to take the trip I promised you earlier,” Simon spoke up after withdrawing his awareness from
Chester.

“Vapor Squad, stand ready,” she called out in a voice louder than Simon considered to be necessary given the size of the room and the close proximity of each person
to other.

The Sentinels sprang to their feet, Simon held his baton high while playing Conveyance in his mind, picturing himself and each person in the room standing by the cypress tree on the west bank of the Tollus River. The black void in between here and there swallowed them up and spit them out three heart beats later. The arrival was neither rough nor violent, yet that is how he viewed the process.

His gaze swept the area until settling on a flock of buzzards circling in the sky above the trees over to the left.  Some creature or other must be dying, he reasoned while the Sentinels immediately spread out, daggerlances in hand, and established a small perimeter with Simon at the center. He walked in the direction of the large black birds and his squad moved with him through the trees and bushes. They went a quarter of a span and Simon came upon a dying old stag, moments later it stopped breathing and the buzzards began to descend. He did not need the crescendo for the next step and so mentally played the spell, Mind Touch, and began adding the carrion eaters to his menagerie as they came down to feast. They would be his permanent scouts in this region.

“We are finished here,” Simon informed his squad after linking his mind to the last bird, and then conveyed back to his study with the Sentinels.

“We went, we walked, and we stared at a bunch a buzzards a feedin on an old stag. I suppose there must be a reason,” Jerome Tarkona commented

“A Sentinel must always be ready to answer the call. We do not question the whys and wherefores. You should be glad Accomplished Trenca included us on a trip to the naval base and to the woods. Our squad traveled twice in one day, that’s more than most Sentinels
are fortunate enough to be conveyed,” Shella corrected him.

Simon faced his squad. “Those buzzards are now my scouts. The Accomplisheds of Aakadon are east of that region and will be crossing the river near there sometime tomorrow. What we did today gives us the ability to answer the call right now while the other newly assigned Accomplisheds to the taskforce and their squads must wait until one of the ten original teams takes them for the first time.”

His answer earned a smile from each of the Sentinels, who seemed just as determined as he to serve the Chosen Vessel, and be at the forefront of events. Jerome scratched his right sideburn. “Like I said, I supposed there was a reason, and I am glad Commander Herling assigned us to you.”

The rest of the Sentinels expressed much the same attitude and were pleased when Simon gave them the order to stand ready early the next morning. One mark after sunrise Shocka sent a mental peck to get his attention. Simon focused on the falcon, which was exhausted and perched on a hickory. Simon viewed the area below and Conveyed to Lobenia, one span from the Ducuanan border. His Sentinels established the perimeter around him while he added a flock of crows and some buzzards to his menagerie. The next day Blossom gave him an excellent view of
Mount Jessup. He and his squad conveyed to the high reaches and he spent half the day adding condors to his menagerie.

“I know this mountain,” Shella said as Simon linked his mind to Rufus, the last of the condors in the area. “This is
Mount Jessup in Lobenia. You intend for us to be advance scouts for the entire mission.”

Simon nodded affirmatively. “I intend to supply our Maestro with options and I cannot do it by following the other one hundred forty-nine Accomplisheds of the Atlantan Guild who are watching over the Accomplished of Aakadon. So yes, you could say we are advance scouts, advancing all the way to Shantear.”

“I agree with Sentinel Tarkona. I am glad we have been assigned to the most active Accomplished on the taskforce. Sleet Squad hasn’t traveled at all. Their Accomplished is not scheduled to be conveyed to the area of the Aakadon caravan for another day,” Gloria Striffer commented.

The approval of the squad assigned to him did mean something, but Simon would have continued with his plan even if they had disapproved. “We are likeminded in our service to the Chosen Vessel, which is a good thing,” he replied, while motioning with his hands to include each member of the squad, and then gripped his baton. “I think it is time we go back,” he announced, and then conveyed to his study.

Two days later, in the early marks of the morning before dawn, Crom the buzzard woke Simon out of a deep sleep with an image of armies on the move. The large black bird sat perched in an elm while multiple legions moved on the ground below, some on foot and most on horseback.
Thanks,
Simon sent and received a sense of anticipation from the carrion eater. The bird knew good eating always came after groups of the predatory two-legs met.

Simon sprang out of bed, put on his silk pants and shirt, and rushed out of his quarters. He figured Daniel would be either in the Health Wing or with Sherree and so chose to avoid building two. The news was important, yet did not warrant interrupting the couple in their bedroom. Simon climbed the spiral stairs up two levels and over to
the Health Wing.

A door on the left side of the hall opened and out stepped the First Accomplished, tall, dark, and frankly, beautiful. “Accomplished Trenca, what has you up so early and in such a hurry?” she inquired and paused with both eyebrows lifting in a momentary show of astonishment, “and without a cloak. If you have come to request to be scheduled for a trip south, I have assigned Accomplished Lassiter to take you near the current location of the Aakadon expedition the day after tomorrow.”

Simon knew he had to work on his decorum, having a tendency to lose it when he grew overly excited. He took a deep breath and did his best impression of Barnabas Galloway. “I know where they are camped. I sent Chester, my falcon, to the region days ago, so you can have Accomplished Lassiter take someone who needs to go,” he began to explain. While his voice held sure and steady like that of his former mentor, Simon could feel the heat flushing his face.

The set of Leah’s eyes softened and he could tell she was suppressing a smile. “No need to be embarrassed. The absence of your cloak is not such a huge deal and while I am not impressed with the image you are projecting at the moment, I am truly impressed by the initiative you have taken in preparing for your assignment. Seeing as you do not need to be on the schedule with Accomplished Lassiter, might I know why you hunted me down?”

Simon knew the flush in his face must have turned several shades redder. It probably did look as if he had sought her out, he never thought of doing so, yet should have respected the chain of command, and come to her first. He had forgotten more than just the cloak and fate saved him from breaking protocol and bypassing the First Accomplished. “Crum, my buzzard, showed me Fon Kayan and Battencayan legions marching in and setting up camp within Lobenia, and only a span west of Ducaun. A legion of Pentrosa’s Sutton Guard seems to be the driving force with hundreds of Accomplisheds within sight of my feathered friend.”

Leah blinked her eyes several times before speaking. “Are you telling me you have feathered scouts that far ahead, all the way into Lobenia?”

Simon nodded his head. “Virgil should reach Shantear in the late afternoon or early evening. He is resting now but will resume the flight after dawn.”

The First Accomplished stared up and to the left. “The report is important. Should I disturb the Maestro?” she asked, in a soft voice, probably to herself.

Simon chose to answer even if the question was not meant for him. “The Aakadon caravan has yet to cross the Tollus and has hundreds of spans to cover before reaching the border, so I think the information can wait a few marks.”

Leah’s dark eyes fixed on him. “Resourceful and wise, I am going to keep my eyes on you.” Her words sounded more like a promise than a threat, so he took them as a compliment.

Simon figured she would be like the Accomplisheds of the Willow Guild, praise him and soon forget he is even in the room. He shrugged off the compliment and smiled, pleased to have passed on the information. Daniel would soon learn about the army in his path and that was the important thing, not who would get the credit. “A six-bolt Accomplished once asked a fourth level Talented for help. I did what little I could for him then and will continue to do so in the future. Well, you have my report and I will go back to my quarters,” he replied, and then added before turning away, “Daniel never promised to keep an eye on me, he just does.”

Four marks later Simon and his Sentinels were among the large group of people conveyed by Daniel to a meadow within walking distance of where the Aakadon caravan had camped for the night. The First Accomplished, Commander Herling, Accomplished Lassiter, and Sherree stood facing Maestro Reese, Vice-Maestro Tobermin, Barnabas Galloway,
Janice Footner, Rondara Kapes, Lucia Trotta, and Ralpen Pentrago. The squads of each Accomplished of the Atlantan Guild in attendance quickly spread out and encircled the meeting place.

“We have come as you requested through Senior Forester Galloway,” Maestro Reese spoke up after everyone had finished exchanging the customary nods of respect. He had a difficult time taking his eyes off the First Accomplished while addressing Daniel.

Tobermin was dividing his stares between Leah and Lassiter. His face reflected distaste at seeing them here, and the silent projection of his feelings was clearly intentional. Simon expected to see him spit on the ground in front of their feet. The First Accomplished and the former Senior Soarer ignored the Vice-Maestro.

“I asked you here to discuss a problem,” Daniel began to explain the purpose for the meeting, even though it should not be necessary. Simon knew the information had been relayed to Barnabas. “There are six legions just across the border and they are backed by more than a thousand Accomplisheds of the Serpent Guild,” he relayed Crom’s most resent report. Simon was glad his friend did not reveal the source of the information to the Accomplisheds of Aakadon.

“We do not have the resources to defeat the force you just described,” Tobermin stated. “Do you?”

Daniel looked directly at Talmon Reese. “I asked you here and brought my most experienced associates so we can plan how best to solve this problem. Chas Herling is the Commander of the
Chosen’s Sentinels, Leah Barryn is my First Accomplished,” he paused and Simon observed Sherree give a quick negative shake of her head, “Jeremiah Lassiter is my Taskforce Commander, Accomplished Trenca is my Chief Aid, and Accomplished Jenna is one of my advisors,” he finished without mentioning her being the First Lady.

Simon knew his friend made up that title for him on the spot, this being the first time he heard it, and appreciated how the Ducuanan always treated him as if he was important. Even so, a title without responsibilities is empty, and Simon preferred his work to be meaningful.

Tobermin eyed each person, glanced at the Sentinels, and his mouth twitched as if he was suppressing the urge to smile. “Assuming your information is correct, I am not surprised a handful of Accomplisheds and a little over a hundred household men-at-arms would seek a true Maestro’s advice.”

Daniel ignored the man and projected a map slightly above the ground, using the Melody Simon gave to him earlier. A three dimensional image of the border area displayed the legions and the huge number of Accomplisheds allied with them. “This would explain why the Serpents have not attacked you since we last met. They were planning to stop us here,” he told the Maestro. “My Teki Seer warned me of the fall of Battencay and that this combined force you see would pose a problem for us in Lobenia. Vice-Maestro Tobermin is correct, neither of us has the resources to take on the full might of this army,” his arm swept across the image as he spoke, “but we can come up with a plan to punch through at their weakest point.”

“The biggest problem as we see it,” Commander Herling joined the conversation. “Is that the Serpents will have been in the region long enough to allow many traveling circles to come and go.”