In The Prince's Secret Service - 8. Friends and Foes

The first light of the sun struck the bell tower in the center of Fortmain. That was the signal to open the gates. Patrick and his companions had been waiting at the south gate, and were the first to leave. All the boys’ horses seemed anxious to travel; Alan’s Dasher positively pranced as his hooves hit the surface of the road. Patrick’s Windchaser was also perky. The boys exchanged glances. At Patrick’s nod, they gave the horses their head, and for the first few minutes ran at a gallop. Alan’s Dasher, the slowest, set the pace.

It was just past noon, but the sun still stood high in the northwestern sky when the boys reached the Stoltz farm. About 100 yards from the complex of buildings, they dismounted, and walked slowly, leading their horses.

“Land sakes, don’t be shy,” came a call from the figure who stepped out the door of the main house. Patrick with Elven sight was the first to recognize the figure of Farmer Stoltz. “Brought friends with you this time, did you? And right welcome, too. Come on, come on!”

Patrick introduced James and Kenneth, and handed Stoltz the letters and small packages he’d brought from Stoltz’s relative in Fortmain.

“James, Kenneth. Right pleased to meet you. Patrick and his friends swore an oath to do us no harm while guests. Will you do the same?”

“Gladly,” James answered, “I so swear.”

“And I,” Kenneth echoed, “I swear.”

Stoltz’s eyes widened. “I felt that oath…you two…?”

“We’re clerics and healers, Master Stoltz,” James said.

“Of course,” Stoltz said. “You take no oath except in the Light.”

Thom and Alan took the horses to the barn, while the other boys were taken to the bathhouse. As Alan was pulling the saddle off Dasher, the door burst open and Benjamin came in. “Alan,” the tween called, “I knew you’d be back.” Then shyly, “You’re going to stay for a while, aren’t you?”

“Yes, Benjamin,” Alan said, turning to embrace the boy, “We’re going to be here at least one night…more if Patrick and your father get to talking!”

Benjamin returned Alan’s kiss and asked, “Then, perhaps, we could share boy magic later?”

Alan turned and looked at Thom. The boy smiled and said to Benjamin, “You’re in for a treat; sharing with Alan is the best ever!”

Alan smiled to himself. I’m glad Thom isn’t jealous. We were so afraid, Patrick and I…it took so long to bring him out of his shell. Patrick was afraid he’d become too attached to me. Of course, being so close to James and Kenneth helped a lot. Kenneth has been a good friend to Thom. They’re so different, yet so much alike…

*****

“It was mighty nice of your master to say those things about me. Horse trader, hmm? That’s what he calls me?” Stoltz said. Stoltz was the first person Patrick had recruited into his spy network. Stoltz had invited Patrick into his library.

“Horse breeder, actually,” Patrick replied. “I was pressed to come up with a secret nickname, and all I had on my mind was that we’d delivered those horses to Fortmain for you. We still owe you great thanks for that. It would have been an arduous walk with Thom had you not suddenly discovered a surplus of horses.”

Stoltz smiled, “You boys get the adventure. If I can help, in return for some of your stories, well, I feel amply rewarded.

“I’ve kept a copy of everything I’ve sent out…here…” Stoltz said, handing Patrick a bound journal. “Just the details—dates, places, numbers, whatever I could. And, here…from the last batch of letters, I’ve made a map of all the attacks reported, with dates. Sent this information on to Arcadia half a ten-day ago. The numbers in red ink mean that Trolls were included in the attackers; green numbers are Lizoids; black numbers mean Humans…You’ll want to copy this, I think.”

Patrick studied the map, then pulled out his own journal, and began copying starting with the earliest dates and working forward in time. As he continued, Stoltz could see excitement grow in his eyes. Patrick looked up, “There’s a pattern, isn’t there?”

“I wanted to know if you saw it. Yes, it looked as if there were a pattern…perhaps more than one. I’ll wait until you’re finished…”

Patrick continued copying the map. When finished, he put it aside. “You’re right. I found two patterns. First, the attacks seem to radiate from the swamp west of Agium. Second, the earliest attacks involved Trolls. Later attacks included Trolls and Humans; and then Trolls, Humans, and Lizoids.”

“So what do you conclude from this,” Stoltz asked.

“First, the enemy operates from a fixed base somewhere in the swamp. Second, they’re being led by Trolls or a Troll—an exceptional Troll. Third, they’re recruiting: first the Humans and then the Lizoids. As they get stronger, they range farther afield.”

“Anything else…not a pattern…just something else?” Stoltz asked.

Patrick frowned, looked at the map, and then looked at Stoltz. “The Lizoids. James and Kenneth encountered Lizard-men some months ago. They beat off an attack by at least four of them by using only the flats of their swords. The only casualty was one Lizoid who drowned when it fell unconscious into the water…the others ran. Lizoids don’t have a reputation for aggression…but they’re becoming aggressive…” Patrick did not mention the Human-Lizard hybrid James had encountered in Cross Creek: that creature was operating under the influence of an Evil sword, and was half Human. Aggression was probably the mildest aspect of its personality.

“That was my thought, as well. I am glad you determined that, too…especially since I wrote it as speculation and included it in my last report. I don’t want people in Arcadia to think I’m making things up!

“Now, look at this,” Stoltz continued. “I’ve kept the notes separately, but I suspect that there’s a connection. Three letters report the closing—or worse, the abandonment—of the local Temple. These here, here, and here,” he said, pointing to the map. “And here, the cleric has kept the Temple open, but the Temple school has closed. And here, the same.”

Stoltz and Patrick exchanged worried looks. “This may be even more serious than the brigand raids,” Patrick said.

“My thoughts, exactly. I’ve prepared a report…here…to go out with the next mail delivery,” Stoltz said.

“I’d like to share this information with James,” Patrick said. “He often writes a friend who is a cleric in Arcadia. Perhaps that information should also go there.”

Stoltz agreed, and he and Patrick, without revealing the obvious—that James was also part of the Arcadian Intelligence Corps—discussed how to sanitize the information so that it would not expose the members of the Stoltz extended family who were its sources.

Elsewhere, two of the Stoltz tweens approached James who had just finished healing one of the sheep of the stumbling disease. “We were wondering … Benjamin and Alan have partnered for tonight…would you and Patrick like to share with us?”

James replied, “I’d like that very much, and I think Patrick would like it as well…but, we shouldn’t leave the boys—Thom and Kenneth—by themselves.”

The first tween laughed, “Kenneth’s already accepted an invitation from David, and you don’t need to worry about Thom! Tommy and Robert are having a fit trying to decide who will ask him first! Shhh…here they come.”

The Stoltz tweens walked over to the other side of the sheep pen and busied themselves with some task as Thom and two Stoltz boys arrive. The two younger boys joined their brothers, while Thom approached James.

“Um, James,” Thom began, “Alan’s gone out with Benjamin to hunt turkeys and who knows when they’ll be back and Patrick’s in with Farmer Stoltz and he won’t be out until I don’t know when and I need to ask somebody…but Tommy and Robert want me to share with them tonight and Alan will be with Benjamin but I don’t want to leave you and Patrick and Kenneth…”

The boy stopped to gasp for breath, but James spoke before he could continue, “Of course, Thom. It’s very nice of Tommy and Robert to invite you, and it’s nice of you to want to share with them. Don’t worry about Patrick and me, or Kenneth…you go with Tommy and Robert tonight, and have a wonderful time. I’ll make sure Patrick and Alan know where you are…”

Thom hugged James, and whispered, “Thank you, James. Oh, thank you!”

Somehow, on the second night, Benjamin had ended up with James, so it was with both James and Alan that the tween exchanged kisses as the companions prepared to depart. Tommy and Robert shared hugs and kisses with Thom, who looked positively radiant. To Kenneth’s mage-sight, Thom glowed with boy magic.

Farmer Stoltz shooed his boys away. “Chores, boys.”

Addressing all the companions he added, “You’re always welcome, here. Please visit on your way back from Agium. And thank you for the friendship you’ve shown to my family.”

“Thank you, Master Stoltz, for the kindness you’ve shown to us,” Patrick replied.

James and Kenneth added a blessing, and the companions rode away.

*****

At the crossroads a half-day south, Constant Stoltz read the letter Patrick handed him. “So, you’re the boys my brother has told me about. He said you might visit some day. We’ve been looking forward to meeting you. You’ll stay the night, of course.”

“Thank you. We’d like to stay. Thom and Alan,” Patrick gestured,” are getting quite a reputation at your brother’s farm as wood-splitters; James and Kenneth and I are healers, and would be happy to treat your family members and your livestock. If the services we offer are not needed, or are insufficient, we can pay for room and board.”

Stoltz led the companions first to the barn, where two of his sons helped with the horses. As he pointed the companions to the bathhouse, he addressed Patrick’s question about payment. “We get a lot of travelers, so the bath is always hot after about nones until compline. Use a lot of wood, we do. But there’s plenty. No need for splitting. Two of my sheep have blackleg, though, and I’m worried about the rest. I’d appreciate a healer taking a look. Being at a crossroads, we can’t offer traditional hospitality—there are just too many visitors. If you can save the sheep, though, I’d consider it more than a fair trade.”

Patrick went off with Stoltz to look at the sheep, while the others were led to the bathhouse by one of the tweens who introduced himself as Makepeace Stoltz.

“This is Recompense,” Makepeace said as another tween and a child entered the bathhouse, “and this is Waitstill, although he doesn’t,” pointing to the child. “Mordecai will be here, soon. He’s probably with father and your friend.”

The companions introduced themselves as they cleaned and prepared to enter the hot soak.

“Not many guests, tonight,” Recompense said. “We’re glad to have you visit. Usually it’s just caravaneers and didicoy, and they’re pretty close-knit. Where are you headed?”

Alan answered, “We’re taking a slow trip to Agium, do a little hunting, see what we find.”

“Not much to hunt here but turkeys,” said Waitstill, as he thrashed about in the hot soak, splashing his brothers as if trying to provoke one of them into a water fight. “What will you hunt?”

“Oh, wild boar and deer,” Alan replied, “…elk in the mountains, perhaps.”

After a brief lull in the conversation, James spoke. “There was a family to the west of Bowling Green, where I’m from, who had a son named Recompense. They weren’t Stoltzes, though…but I’ve never heard that name anywhere else.”

“Wondered when you’d get around to asking,” Recompense said. His voice was light; he had taken no offense. “People always do. Our mother is Valarian…they believe that we all have a bit of Light inside us, and that when we die, we join the Light—until the next time. All our names are traditional…father was Arnold before he married and became Constant to please Mother. She’s Mehitabel; our Sister is Thankful. When we have another brother, he will be…what did Mother say?”

“Persevere,” answered Mordecai, who had just finished washing, as he joined them. “Patrick will be here soon. He and father are still looking at the sheep. They found three more with blackleg, and Patrick wants to be sure he’s caught it all.”

*****

The next day found the travelers at lake created by a bend in the river. Marshy ground lay on either side of the lake. The Royal Road was carried on a causeway—a long, low, stone bridge. The marsh was thick with tall reeds; beyond the marsh, swamp filled with cypress trees extended as far as one could see.

As the companions rode along the causeway, Alan sensed movement among the reeds. “Danger!” he cried, but the warning was too late. A flurry of javelins flew toward the boys. More by luck than Alan’s warning, no one was hit.

Alan cocked his crossbow, and sent a quarrel that struck squarely the chest of a Lizard Man who, along with several others, was charging through the shallow water, another javelin in his hand.

“Thom, Kenneth…tend the horses,” Alan called. Patrick dismounted in order to better work magic. Thom jumped from Nimrod and grabbed the reins of Patrick’s Windchaser.

Alan loosed another bolt that missed its target, then jumped from Dasher and drew his sword. Kenneth, reached down to take Dasher’s reins, and then sat up to watch the action. Lizoids, he thought, it’s a wonder they haven’t already run away…they’re such cowards.

Kenneth’s memory of an earlier, easy victory over four Lizoids made him overconfident. Sitting on his horse, he was an easy target for a Lizard Man who was neither a coward nor inept. A javelin hit Kenneth’s chest with a force great enough to knock him from his horse. Honey reared, and might have trampled the boy had Alan not turned in time to grab Kenneth’s arm and drag him out of the way.

Meanwhile, Patrick had managed to gather enough magic to send a bolt in the direction of two Lizoids who were close together. “Got you!” he said, as they both threw their arms out and fell backward into the swamp.

Thom had quickly looped Windchaser and Nimrod’s reins together, and drawn his own sword. A Lizoid who might have thought the boy to be an easy target was surprised when Thom deflected the creature’s javelin and sliced deeply into its side in one single, fluid motion.

The fight was over in little more than several blinks of an eye. Four Lizoids lay dead on the causeway; at least two more had drowned where Patrick’s spell had felled them; one was dead from Alan’s first crossbow bolt. James’ attempt at an offensive spell had been spoiled when he saw Kenneth hit, but he had used his sword to good effect.

“Kenneth!” James called. He and Patrick both rushed over to the boy while Alan stood guard.

Kenneth’s shirt of mithral chain had stopped the javelin. He had a severe bruise, and James and Patrick would have debated whether a rib was broken had Alan not interrupted. “Can he travel? We shouldn’t wait around here…in case they have friends.”

*****

“Thom, you seem…I don’t know…like you’re somewhere else, and not here,” Alan said as he and the boy tended the horses. The companions had camped in a glade a few hundred yards from the road.

There was a long pause. Alan kept silent. Thom often thought before he spoke, and to interrupt him would only slow his answer further.

When the boy did speak, his voice was tinged with sadness. “I killed that creature today. I nearly cut him in half. He knew he was dying; I could see it in his face. He wasn’t just an overgrown frog, either. There was something inside…something that felt, something almost…”

Thom’s voice broke, and he began to cry. Alan took Nimrod’s reins from Thom’s hand, and pulled the boy to him, hugging him tightly.

“Shhh,” he whispered as Thom sobbed. When the boy’s tears stopped, Alan whispered to him. “I’m not going to tell you that it will be all right…it will never be all right to kill, but sometimes there is no choice. Today was one of those times. It isn’t all right, but it was Right. Do you understand the difference, Thom?”

Alan waited for the boy’s answer. “Yes, I do. We are fighting for the Light, and sometimes we have to kill in its defense, even though killing is not a Good thing. I know the words. You and Patrick have said them often enough. It’s hard to feel them, though.”

Across the clearing, James examined the healing bruise on Kenneth’s chest, and looked at the ribs that had, after all, been broken. The boy was healing well, but there was a darkness that shadowed the normal glow of his life force.

“Want to talk about it?” James asked.

“James, I was stupid. I was careless. I let you down, and I let all our companions down. You all could have been killed because I was so stupid. I’m sorry. Perhaps I shouldn’t be here. Perhaps I should just go home.” Kenneth looked down.

“Kenneth,” James asked, “do you really think that, or are you just being petulant?”

Kenneth jerked his head up and stared at James. After a moment, he replied, “I don’t know. It just seemed the right thing to say. I was stupid; I don’t want to think of you or anyone being hurt because I failed—”

James interrupted. “Now you’re being…well, not stupid…but you’re not thinking. Think about what happened. Think about why it happened. Think about what could have happened, and think about what did happen. Then tell me how you feel. No…not now…think first.”

After several minutes, Kenneth spoke. “I was careless. I thought that since the Lizoids we saw before were cowards and weak that these would be, too. I thought that since the first ones were so easily defeated that these would be, too, and that they would run away as soon as Alan shot the first one. But, even if that were true, I should not have just watched. I should have done what Thom did: tied the horses’ reins together and drawn my sword. Any of you could have been hurt, perhaps killed, because I was careless. No one was hurt…except me, and I deserved it. There, how’s that?”

“Better,” James said. “You were not stupid; you made a generalization based on too little information—something that I often do. You were…okay, careless is the best word I know, too. You didn’t take the initiative you should have…you followed orders, and took the reins of Dasher, but you stopped. Yes, someone could have been hurt, but no one was. Your carelessness didn’t hurt anyone except yourself. No, you didn’t deserve to be hurt. That’s not the way the world works! You are a cleric, and you should know that.”

“Oh, thank you, James,” the boy fought to control his voice, “thank you.”

James hugged the boy until he stopped crying.

After supper, the companions sat around a fire. “Why were we attacked? Lizoids aren’t aggressive, normally,” Alan said.

“Maybe they were hungry,” Thom said. “Mmmm, tasty!” He pulled Kenneth to him and kissed his friend.

“Not as tasty as you!” Kenneth said, returning the kiss. The tension, real and imaginary, that had troubled both Thom and Kenneth had disappeared.

“I was at fault,” Patrick said. “I learned that lizard-men have been involved in caravan raids near Agium, and I said nothing. I thought that you didn’t need to know that just yet. I was wrong.” But we still don’t know why we were attacked, Patrick thought. Does someone know of our mission? Will we find more aggressive Lizoids? Is this merely a sign of Evil’s encroachment? Are these Lizoids part of those that are raiding near Agium? If so, the danger is greater than Stoltz’s map shows. The Elf’s night was troubled.

It was early the next morning; they had been riding less than an hour. Alan, who was in the lead, raised his hand and gestured. The signal was read by his companions to mean one on foot coming.

Kenneth, who was directly behind Alan, rode up and alongside the Human tween. He saw a man, wearing a tattered robe that might once have been white, but which had become brown with dirt. An exceptionally dark stain might have been blood. The man seemed unaware of the approaching companions.

“He is of the Light,” Kenneth said to Alan, “and he’s injured.” The boy paused, waiting Alan’s tactical decision. Behind them, the rest of the companions stopped their horses.

Alan dismounted and loosed his sword. “Come with me, Kenneth. The rest of you, keep your eyes open.”

The figure stopped walking as Alan and Kenneth reached him, but made no movement and spoke no word.

Shock? Kenneth wondered to himself. “I need to touch him,” he whispered to Alan, who nodded.

Kenneth reached out and lightly touched the man’s arm. A cleric…he’s been wounded…some days ago…some natural healing has occurred…yes, in shock…, Kenneth thought. Channeling a touch of magic into the man’s body, the young healer slowly wiped away the dark tangle that blurred the man’s consciousness. The man’s eyes brightened and his carriage became more erect.

“Who are you, and what place is this?” he asked, weakly.

“Come, sit beside the road,” Kenneth urged.

After being given water and bread, the man was fit enough to tell his story. “I am Kedron, Cleric of the Light. Our monastery is…well, if I know where I am, about two days south on the Royal Road, and then half a day east, on foot. The monastery was attacked by a force of brigands…nearly a tenday ago judging by the condition of my wounds when you found me. I am the only survivor, and had been left for dead. I don’t know how long I was unconscious. I managed to crawl into the bushes and watched while vultures and jackals ate the bodies of the others…I’ve had nothing but berries and nuts to eat…I am on the way to Fortmain…”

“We are on the way to Agium; we could escort you to the next town to the south, where you might be able to join a convoy going north,” James offered.

“No,” Kedron replied, “I will travel north. Please do not worry about me. I walked all the way from Arcadia when I first came here, and have walked the road to Fortmain many times since.”

That evening, Patrick recorded the meeting in his journal, concluding with, The cleric’s wounds had nearly healed of their own accord, although James and Kenneth ministered to him. We gave him some trail food, and offered to help make some sandals, but he insisted that his bare feet were “more than good enough.” We warned him about the Lizoids, but even that did not deter him. By this time, he seemed in reasonably good spirits. James felt it safe to allow him to continue his trip, alone. The attack on the monastery will be included in our next report.
The attack by the Lizoids, and now, the destruction of a monastery; neither bodes well for what we will find as we get closer to the source of this infection.