(Slovan)
Slovan Tinbury yawned and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. He stood up, stretched his arms, and ambled over to the aquastone basin. He leaned over the washbowl and triggered the enchantment with a wave. Cold water poured into his hands. He splashed his face and looked in the mirror. A stranger gazed back at him. His bloodshot eyes were framed by dark circles. His hair was wild, and his beard looked neglected. He had hardly slept over the last two weeks.
Scar’s location made the city nearly impregnable. He had been lulled into a false sense of security. The news that the Shadow Lands had infiltrated his home had shaken him.
How long has the enemy been spying on us? How many of them are still lurking in the shadows? His hands tightened into fists.
So far, nine people under the enslavement spell had been discovered. All of them were linked to the hideout that Drake had located. Information was being gathered about the enemy’s objectives.
Immediate action had already been taken to shore up Scar’s defenses. The Construction Guild had installed metal grates to secure the mountain side ventilation shafts. Even though the air conduits were treacherous to reach, they were a target.
Lisa and Drake had deployed nullifying runes to collapse the city’s entrances during an emergency.
Contingency plans were being reviewed and revised.
He had dealt with a constant flow of advisors and commanders coming in-and-out of his war chambers at all hours. There was so much to do. An endless list of decisions had to be made. The discussions included military preparation, fortifications, recruitment, scouting, enslavement spell detection, provisions, and restricting sensitive city architectural records. The list went on and on. Slovan walked back to his chair and slumped down.
“Father, you look exhausted.” The familiar voice shook him out of his reverie, and he smiled. “When was the last time you slept? For that matter, when was the last time you ate?”
“Lin, I didn’t hear you come in.” He turned to look at his daughter. He could tell that she was worried. Her brows were knitted, and her hands were on her hips. He suppressed a smile. Her concerned expression was just like her mother’s.
“Dad, you look haggard,” she chided him and crossed her arms. “I know that you’re not eating much.” She narrowed her eyes.
“You make it sound like a bad thing.” Slovan patted his stomach. “I’m fine! After all, I was getting a little thick around the middle.”
“Well, that won’t do,” Lin growled. “I’ll get Chef Eaton here right away.” Without waiting for a reply, she turned around and stormed out of the chamber.
Slovan sighed, knowing that it was futile to argue with her about this. He knew his daughter very well. Just like her mother, she had a will of granite. When it came to his health and wellbeing, Lin was a tyrant.
I wish Lila was still alive to see how you’ve grown. She’d be so proud of you.
#
(Rob Stone)
Rob ducked under the slashing sword, dug in his heels, pivoted, and lunged forward to counterattack. His adversary was formidable and blocked his weapon. They traded vicious blows, neither side relenting.
Clank!
Swoosh!
They circled each other like savage birds of prey. Rob gritted his teeth and wiped the sweat off his forehead. His calves were burning. He had already taken several grazing blows, but his opponent had not fared better. Their VOPs were weighing them down and slowing their movements. It was time to end the duel.
“Great spar. It’s impressive how you adopt different techniques into your own style,” Rob acknowledged. “You’ve even incorporated some of my own feints.” He rolled his shoulders. “So, they used to call you the Technique Thief in Pike, eh?” Rob’s mouth twitched. “I can see that. Though I must admit that the Snowstorm moniker rolls off the tongue like butter and will sell a lot more vendibles. For Tor’Sal’s sake, I’ve already had students asking me where they can buy a Snowstorm scarf.”
Ivan grinned. “Well, if I can take something without anyone losing anything, why not?” He removed his VOP.
Rob laughed. “Well said. That’s a good take on learning. Well, that’s enough training. I’ll see you later at the commanders’ meeting.”
“Thanks for the practice and the pointers.” Ivan inclined his head. “I’ll see you at the meeting.”
Rob undid the straps of his VOP.
That boy is such a fast learner.
He had sparred with Ivan many times and was already looking forward to their next duel.
Ivan’s mastery with the sword was exceptional and he had natural leadership skills. The students in the class were drawn to him and looked for his advice and approval. Even Bay Valks treated him with grudging respect.
Rob had started taking Ivan on scouting missions to help him grow. The boy had spent an entire night in the library reviewing local topography after their first excursion. During the next mission, Ivan had suggested a different path, which had saved the scouting party a couple of hours.
Curious, Rob had asked him how he had discovered the new route. Ivan had explained that he had read a stack of hunting journals. Those journals were notoriously hard to read. Many of them were faded and the scribbled notes were difficult to follow. Reviewing them was like sifting for gold. You had to filter through countless pages of personal notes, including any number of maladies and injuries, before a nugget of useful information could be found. Ivan had shared with Rob that he had uncovered a snow buffalo game trail map sandwiched between recipes for trout stew and wildflower tea.
Rob remembered his hunting journal when he was a lad. His face scrunched up. He used to write about girls, grub, and goals and the goals section was rather thin.
After seeing Ivan’s innovative approach to problem solving, Rob had invited him to attend the commanders’ strategy meetings.
#
(William)
“Eating dinner alone… again,” William grumbled as he slurped his soup.
Things had been weird lately. Some of his classes had been unexpectedly canceled. The streets were not as crowded as they used to be. A few shops had closed their doors for business. The one thing that had not changed had been the busy taverns. They remained abuzz with chatterers and rumormongers. After all, they were the best place to get the latest gossip.
He sighed. Before his aunt’s departure, he and Ivan had been moved to the castle on the same floor with a few other students. The dignitary wing was massive. Claire and Toby Clearwater were a few doors down. Most of the chambers were empty except the one on the opposite end. Some bigheaded boy lived down there.
What was his name? William pinched the bridge of his nose. Bah, who cares. Some lordling from Resan.
He enjoyed practicing magic with Claire, but even she was out today.
William looked around and scowled.
This chamber is too fancy.
He was worried about breaking things. Gold and burgundy curtains with silver stitching were draped over the windows and around his bed. The wooden floors were partially covered with some frilly-willy imported Warsan rug that his aunt had gushed over. The servants had told him that the elegant rug was priceless. He had even been asked to refrain from eating in his own bedroom.
“Sheesh!” He took a bite from his sandwich, rolled his eyes, and surveyed room.
Tapestries decorated the walls, and the furniture was hand carved and painted by some fancy-pants artist. William felt like he was living in a gallery, and he did not like it.
He tore a large piece of bread and soaked up some of his soup. It was a meal that had been prepared by one of Slovan’s chefs and it was delicious.
As he ate, he considered the recent events. He had not seen much of his brother lately and his aunt had been gone for over a week. She had left the city abruptly. The only information that she had shared was that her assignment came directly from Lord Slovan and that she might be gone for an extended period. He had the uneasy feeling that her assignment was dangerous, and he was worried about her.
Before she had left, he had scrutinized the things she had set aside. It was the first time he had ever seen her pack any weapons. Though his aunt had not told him, he was fairly certain that Sapple had gone with her. He had not seen Sapple at school and he had also noticed that his aunt had put a bag of sugar cubes in her enchanted purse before leaving.
After his aunt’s departure, William spent more time at school. Things were changing. Drake Grey, the librarian, had also disappeared around the same time as his aunt. Rose missed some classes and put Lin in charge whenever she was absent. Many of the upperclassmen from the Military School were nowhere to be found.
He frowned. Even the Bench Wars had been cancelled. He saw some crumbs on the carpet and shrugged.
Meanwhile, he had received plenty of practice with his healing magic. There seemed to be a steady flow of injured soldiers with broken bones, bruises, and burns. There was always someone that needed healing and that made him happy.
Well, he was not happy that they were injured, but he was glad that he could help.
The seriously injured were sent directly to the Tinbury School during the day and William was occasionally pulled out of class to assist. He wished that there were other people in the city that could cast healing spells. Compared to Light magic, healing tinctures and even the more potent mending elixirs were inferior. If there was an influx of injured, only the worse cases were sent to him.
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Lady Calla was careful with how many people he could heal each day. He had been told that if he overexerted himself, it could lead to some kind of a weird thing.
What did Lady Calla call it again? Ah, that’s right… Spell Sap Syndrome. He rolled his eyes.
William tore another piece of soft bread and soaked up the remains of his soup. He looked at the enchanted timepiece on the dresser.
Bah, it’s way too early to go to sleep.
He got up, picked up his plates, ambled out of his chamber to the aquastone basin, and dropped his dirty dishes inside. He narrowed his eyes and glared. The porous yellow sponge taunted him.
I hate washing dishes. I wish I knew a spell to just make them clean. Well, the dirty dishes can wait. After all, this is the best time for training. He grinned.
William slipped on his shoes and padded over to the balcony. He shifted and flew toward the Crossroads Tavern.
On his way, he stopped by the marketplace. He perched above one of the seamstress stalls, far away from the stinky fishmongers and butchers.
It was time for training.
He shifted his ears and listened to the rumors circulating on the street. He had to use different partial transformations to hear near and far. The discussions he heard were pretty much the same as they were yesterday. The consensus was that an upcoming offensive was imminent. Many believed that Pike would be the first objective in securing the north. Troops were seen leaving Scar every day and there was a lot of speculation on the street.
He saw a few scouts heading toward the Crossroads Tavern. He shifted his eyes. He noticed that their boots were muddy, and their uniforms were rumpled.
Scraps, it looks like they just got back from a scouting mission. Heh, I got my new target. Hopefully, they’ll let something slip after a few drinks.
He spread his wings and flew after them. Taverns were the very best places to get the latest news, rumors, and gossip.
It was late when William finally headed back to his place in the castle. He landed on the balcony and went to see if there were any leftovers. He was always hungry!
I should check on my wolf buddies before bed, he thought. I hope that I catch them hunting something… preferably Shadowlanders. He chuckled and shifted into a Saberwolf.
He was able to reach Rulan’s son, Frostborn, and his cronies. They were not very talkative after their attempt to ambush a skunk had gone afoul.
An hour later he dragged himself to his bedchamber. He collapsed on the soft mattress, put a pillow on top of his head, and fell fast asleep.
#
The sound of muffled footsteps woke him up. He had been sleeping better since he had moved from the Crossroads Tavern to the castle. At times, he missed the busy excitement of Main Street, but the solitude of his castle chambers reminded him of his quiet life on the farm.
Eager to see who was in the other room, he sprang out of bed, darted to the door, and poked his head around the corner. As soon as he saw his brother he exclaimed, “Hey, you’re back! Where were you? What time is it? Have you eaten yet?”
“You must have been really tired,” Ivan replied. “You were sprawled on top of the bed, still wearing your school clothes when I checked on you earlier. I’m surprised that you didn’t wake up sooner. I’ve been in-and-out of here a bunch of times, moving stuff. I could’ve used your help an hour ago.”
“What stuff?” William’s eyes darted around the room.
“I’ll show you in a bit, but for the time being please don’t touch anything.” Ivan’s expression was serious. William followed his brother to the adjacent room.
“Wow!” he exclaimed as he approached the table in the middle of the room. A miniature city was sprawled on top of the table.
“Those are the Bell Towers of Pike,” William exclaimed. He pointed to a small building. “Hey, that’s the Argent Steed Inn. We stayed right there, on the second floor. Here is Lord Harvin’s castle and there are the tournament grounds.”
There were hundreds of small buildings surrounding the castle. Evergreen trees were placed throughout the city in the exact place they were in the real city. The stonewall fortification was made of tiny individual blocks. There were soldiers positioned throughout the city and around the perimeter.
“That’s a lot of soldiers,” William commented.
“You should see the other replica of Pike. It’s even more impressive. This model has seen a lot of wear and tear. Not to mention that it’s dated. It has a few broken buildings and once they received the new model, they let me borrow this one.”
“Who is they? How come they let you have it? How can I get one?”
“Rob Stone gave it to me. He and his commanders are using the updated replica of Pike for the strategy meetings.”
“Scraps, it’s amazing!” William looked longingly at the model.
“Yeah, I agree.” Ivan nodded. “The attention to detail and the artwork are exceptional.” Ivan crossed his arms and looked at his brother. “William, I have an offer that might interest you.”
William perked up. “I’m all ears.”
“I’m working on something. I’m analyzing Pike’s defenses. I’ve reviewed reports about its infrastructure and fortifications. There is a bunch of information about the roads in and around Pike. Still, I need more information on the back alleys, aqueducts, and the sewer system. You know, the lesser used pathways and the underbelly of the city. I know that you’ve made a lot of friends from Pike. Do you know anyone that can help?”
“Oooh, I sure do. I know exactly who you need to talk to. You need the twins. John has been itching for any opportunity to spend more time with the Snowstorm. Heh, he talks about you as much as the girls did in Pike.” William chuckled.
“Great. Can you get them here this morning?”
“I can head out right now.”
“Thanks. I’ll return the favor by washing your dirty dishes.”
“Bullseye!” William pumped his fist. He shifted and flew out of the window feeling rather pleased with himself.
This day was already off to a great start. His brother was home, and his friends were coming over. With any luck, he might even get to play with the model of Pike. To top it all, he did not have to wash dishes.
(Ivan)
Ivan finished the dishes, sat down, and picked up his book. It was an old Construction Guild manual, which had required Rob’s approval to check out.
I’m lucky that Rob has taken me under his wing. He’s a great mentor.
Ivan had been learning a lot about warfare from the Lord Commander. They had reviewed past battles, military formations, tactics, terrain, and even the impact of weather on combat planning.
Ivan turned the page. He was reviewing specifications for rampart walls. The book described building methods and materials. The fortifications at Pike were standard construction. In most places a trench had been dug down to the bedrock, with parallel walls on either side. The gap between had been filled with stone and mortar.
Ivan was engrossed in a section of the book describing wall strength against standard battering rams and catapults when he heard sounds in the hallway. The noises got louder.
I bet that’s William and his friends. Those three make a ruckus wherever they go.
Bang! The door shuddered.
Yip! Yip!
Something else thumped against the door and he heard more scratching and growling. The door burst open, and a pile of bodies tumbled into the room. William, in mid-shift, and two wolves flailed around.
His brother extracted himself from the pile and grinned.
“William, what are you trying to do?” Ivan snapped. “Get us kicked out of the castle? Wolves bounding through the castle corridors is asking for trouble.” Ivan poked his head outside, worried about what else he might find.
To his relief, there was no one there. He quietly closed the door and sighed.
Thank Tor’Sal that that we’re in the South Wing, on the top floor.
As far as he knew, the only other people on this floor were Toby, Claire, and Bay.
William waved his hand dismissively. “Stela, the lady that cleans this floor, finds us exceedingly entertaining. She even brought her two little boys to watch me shift into different animals. She thinks I’m great.” William puffed up his chest.
“Not to mention, hardly anyone ever comes up here. Face it, it’s the most boring place in the castle. This fancy-schmancy floor is for visiting dignitaries. Plus, if we get in trouble, all I’ve got to do is drop Stran Flint’s name. He is the Principal Commander of the castle guards. I mended his daughter’s finger just the other day and he owes me a solid.”
“Hmm.” Ivan sounded unconvinced. “We’ll talk about that later.” He turned to the twins and smiled. “Thanks for coming.”
“Hey, we’ll be glad to come at any time!” John replied earnestly.
“We haven’t seen you at school for a while.” Mary raised an eyebrow. “I don’t know if you’ve heard, but the Shifter Squad had been destroying the Military Munchkins during the Bench Wars until the game was cancelled. Your team could’ve used your help, though I’m not sure if that would’ve made any difference.” She grinned.
“Military Munchkins!” William bent over with laughter. “Ha-ha, that’s a good one.”
“Sis, be nice,” John urged. “You know that the Military School has been shorthanded as of late. There is no need to gloat.”
“Humph!” Mary scrunched up her nose. “It hurts me to admit it, but you’ve got a valid point. They were beating us for such a long time that I couldn’t help myself.” She surveyed the room. “Well, William says that you’ve got a model of Pike.” Mary turned suspiciously to William. “If this is another one of your pranks, you’re going to regret it. I don’t see a model of Pike anywhere.”
“Heh, are you still mad about the Scar invasion joke?” asked William. “That wasn’t even my idea. John just needed to get you out of bed that morning and you were dead asleep.”
“Don’t worry,” Ivan reassured her. “This isn’t one of my brother’s pranks. The model is in the other room. Follow me.”
“Wow.” John stared open-mouthed at the replica of the city where he had been born. Mary’s expression mirrored his. The twins looked at each other at the same time.
John placed his arm around Mary’s shoulder in a half-hug and said with quiet reassurance, “One day, we’ll go back home, and we’ll see all our friends at the Bright Bell. I’m sure that Gerald survived the attack. We’ll see the Old Bull again.”
“Yes, we will,” Mary replied with a fierce expression.
After gawking at the replica, the siblings shared their favorite memories of Pike. There were stories of pig racing, prime spots for ice sledding, sneaking into the storehouses, and the best places to eat, if you could afford it.
“Thanks for letting us reminisce,” Mary finally said. “I’m sure we weren’t invited here for our own benefit. William said that you had some questions about Pike. Well, what did you want to know?”
Ivan explained what he was looking for and the twins were a wealth of information. He took detailed notes about hidden passages, secret tunnels, and the black market. They told him that the old sewer system was drained on the north side of the city. He confirmed that the primary water supply was the central well between the castle and the Bell Towers. He double checked his previously gathered information about granaries, greenhouses, farms, stables, sunstone gardens, windmills, and other essential buildings.
(William)
By the time his brother had exhausted his list of questions, William was getting excited. He wanted to play with the miniature city. When Ivan was not paying attention to him, he figured out how to unlatch the rooftops on the small buildings, which allowed him to peek inside. He was surprised that some of the structures were actually furnished. There were tiny chairs, tables, and other decorations. The doors were fully functional, with miniscule hinges and handles.
“John and Mary, this has been quite helpful. This is exactly the information that I was looking for.”
“It was our pleasure,” replied Mary.
For his part, John continued to smile like a sword-dweeb. He had even grinned when describing the central well and pump mechanism.
“Well then, the city model is all yours for the rest of the day,” Ivan informed them. “William, I’ll be holding you personally responsible if anything is broken when I get back. The repairs will come straight from your pocket.”
“Well, that’s no good. There is nothing in there,” William replied and flipped his pockets inside out.
The smile on John’s face faded. “Oh, are you leaving so soon?”
“Yeah, I have a few errands to run. I need to stop by Zen’s Apothecary and then head over to the library to do more research. How about we meet at Gina’s for dinner at the usual time?”
“That’s a great idea!” William agreed. “I’ve been hankering for some of her plum pigeon pie with a side of tart turnips. And then, after dinner, we can have a race in the Garden of Dreams.”
“Yeah, that’ll be fun,” John chimed in.
“All right, I’ll see you tonight.” Ivan headed out.
After Ivan’s departure, the shifters discussed which transformation would work best for playing hide and seek inside the model of Pike.
“A mouse shift shouldn’t take us too long to learn,” Mary suggested.
“Nah, we need something with hands to open all of the tiny doors,” John countered. “How about the pygmy marmoset? It’s the perfect size, good at climbing, and it’s got grabby little hands.”
“Yeah, that will work.” Mary’s face lit up. “And they’re so cute.”
The trio worked on the tiny monkey shift until all of them felt comfortable with it. Soon, they were racing through the small replica of Pike and playing hide and seek. They occasionally took booster bar breaks, before going back in and starting a new game.
“Look!” John pointed outside. “It’s getting dark. We better get moving or we’ll miss Ivan. He might already be waiting at Gina’s.”
A trio of wolves bounded through the castle and raced to the tavern.
William had eaten a few times between lunch and dinner, but he was still hungry. He was disappointed that Gina did not have any pigeon pie, but the duck and carrot stew was delicious.
After dinner, the group headed into the Garden of Dreams and Ivan took them to the climbing area that he had discovered. None of the casters were able to keep up with him, until they cheated with partial shifts.