Aakuta: the Dark Mage (8 page)

“I understand that you have need to discuss things with me,” Lord Marak said as he sat at the head of the table. Please be seated and begin.”

“I fear that I may be making more out of this than I should,” frowned Seneschal Shamino, “but when I mentioned my concerns to Marshal Patoga, he demanded that I come to Fardale and speak with Lord Marshal Yenga. The Lord Marshal demanded that I speak to you. I do hope that I am not wasting your valuable time.”

“My time is always available for my people,” stated Lord Marak, “from my lord marshal to the lowest of laborers. Please tell me what is troubling you.”

“I must admit to some bias in the telling of my tale,” declared Seneschal Shamino. “Ever since the day you came to Watula Valley and ordered Vows of Service be given to you, I have felt that Lord Quavry plans to break them. He has never openly spoke ill of you, but his mannerisms speak otherwise.”

“You should have brought this to my attention immediately,” interrupted Lord Marak. “I wish to know about anyone who does not take his Vows seriously.”

“Understood,” nodded the seneschal as perspiration began to form upon his brow, “but there is really nothing to report. It is only a feeling, and I am hesitant to condemn a man with only my perceptions. In fact, I did not speak to Marshal Patoga with thoughts of condemning Lord Quavry. I merely expressed concerns with what I saw as aberrant behavior.”

“What type of behavior?” questioned Lord Marak.

“As I am sure you are well aware,” Seneschal Shamino began, “working without slaves presents a challenge for an estate that has long utilized slavery to accomplish our tasks. You were wise in ordering us to send our people here to Fardale for training, and I have seen a marked increase in efficiency upon their return. I became concerned when Lord Quavry demanded to meet with people privately upon their return from Fardale. Lord Quavry has never taken an interest in the running of the mansion before, so it intrigued me that he suddenly became very interested in these people.”

“So you reported this to the marshal?” asked Lord Marak.

”No,” Seneschal Shamino said. “I also interviewed the same people to find out what he was asking them, but he had no questions that indicated a betrayal, so I imagined that I was seeing wolves where none existed. It was not until yesterday that I became concerned enough to mention all of this to Marshal Patoga. Lord Quavry demanded that I send more people to Fardale for training.”

“Why does that bother you?” inquired Lord Marak. “You just said that the training was making the workers more productive.”

“Indeed it does,” Seneschal Shamino nodded vigorously, “but all of my people have already been here for training. Lord Quavry did not seem to care that they had all been trained. He wanted some sent back here for more training. Thinking that he had witnessed some poor behavior among my people, I questioned which ones needed to be retrained. His answer disturbed me. He did not care who I sent to Fardale for training, as long as I kept up a steady flow of people going to Fardale. There is something very wrong going on here, but I cannot fathom what it is. That was when I decided to bring my concerns to Marshal Patoga.”

“What type of questions has Lord Quavry been asking your people?” asked Lord Marak.

“That is the puzzling part of it all,” frowned the seneschal. “I cannot see any harm in the questions that he asks. It sounds as if he just wants to know what is going on here. He asks about visitors, meetings, caravans, and a lot of questions about you. I know there is something devious going on, but I cannot discover it.”

“He asks about caravans?” questioned Lord Marak. “Does he ask specifically about when they are leaving?”

Seneschal Shamino hesitated for a moment before answering. “Yes,” he finally nodded. “One consistent question always asked of my people was if they had seen any caravans leaving Fardale. You seem to find something in that question that I fail to see. What possible harm can there be in him knowing when your caravans leave Fardale?”

The veins in Lord Marak’s temples began to throb visibly, but he remained silent for several minutes. Finally he rose and began pacing.

“Would you leave us for a moment, Seneschal Shamino?” Lord Marak asked as he stopped pacing and faced the table. “Wait in the hallway beyond the door. I will need to speak with you again in a moment.”

“Certainly,” bowed the seneschal as he rose and retreated out of the room.

“As you suspected,” Lord Marshal Yenga said softly. “Shall I have him arrested?”

“Not yet,” Lord Marak shook his head. “While I cannot find any viable reason for Lord Quavry to be searching for the information that he has been seeking, it is not enough to arrest the man. If he does try to get that information to others, then he shall pay the price for violating his Vows of Service. My attention now is on Lord Quavry’s replacement. What do you think of Seneschal Shamino? He obviously seems to honor his Vows of Service. Does he have the skills necessary to be Lord of the Sorgan Clan?”

“He does,” nodded Yenga. “I have known him for many years, and loyalty is one of his strongest traits. He runs the mansion flawlessly and is a stickler for details. I think his feelings about Lord Quavry show that his intuition is good, and the way he conducted himself with his suspicions speaks highly for his intelligence. He was not rash in leveling false charges, yet he knew when to confide in others. I cannot think of a finer replacement unless you went outside the Sorgan clan in you search for a new lord.”

“I want the lord of the Sorgan clan to be a Sorgan,” declared Lord Marak. “I will not look elsewhere. Marshal Patoga, do you agree with Yenga’s assessment?”

“I do,” nodded Patoga. “Seneschal Shamino would manage the clan well, and his loyalty to you would be without question. He has been eager to have his people trained so that he could effectively institute your reforms, and he has done so very well. I cannot think of a better choice.”

“Good,” nodded Lord Marak. “Yenga, make sure that we have several air mages north of the Sorgan estate immediately.”

“One is already stationed there,” replied Yenga. “I will send more immediately.”

“Send Seneschal Shamino in when you leave,” Lord Marak said to Yenga. “Also make sure that every Sorgan visitor knows that the caravan is leaving. Do not make the telling of the information obvious, but ensure that each of them knows.”

Lord Marshal Yenga left the meeting room, and Seneschal Shamino entered. Lord Marak motioned him to take a seat.

“I thank you for bringing this news to my attention, Shamino,” smiled Lord Marak. “I am pleased with the work you have been doing at Watula Valley and plan to make you the next Lord of the Sorgan Clan. Is that an adjustment that you feel comfortable with?”

“It would be an honor and a pleasure to serve you in any capacity, Lord Marak,” replied the seneschal, “but to serve as a lord would be the fulfillment of my dreams. I am uncomfortable with your decision, however.”

“Why?” asked Lord Marak.

“Your words, while not promising to make me lord immediately,” frowned the seneschal, “lead me to believe that you plan on removing Lord Quavry soon. While I do believe that he is not taking his Vows of Service seriously, he has not violated them. The scant information that I have provided is hardly enough to justify such a drastic punishment. I could not accept the position knowing that his removal is unjust.”

“Your reply pleases me,” smiled Lord Marak as a puzzled frown fell over Shamino’s face. “No person should be punished without proof, and I will not remove Lord Quavry under such circumstances. There is more to this than you know, though. The last three Torak caravans have been ambushed. I have suspected that Lord Quavry was the source of information required by the ambushers, but I could not confirm it, nor could I figure out how he was being informed. You have solved the last part of that problem for me. Tonight I will have the proof that I require.”

“How so?” asked Seneschal Shamino.

“I believe that Lord Quavry has been sending information to an enemy using messages attached to birds,” answered Lord Marak. “If I am correct, Lord Quavry will release a bird tonight detailing the departure of my caravan today.”

“We do have birds on the estate that I cannot find records for,” frowned the seneschal. “We have not purchased them, and I have been forbidden to use them for messages that I send to the capital. I thought you had ordered them there. How will you stop the message from being delivered?”

“I have made arrangements for the bird to be captured after it leaves the mansion,” Lord Marak answered vaguely. “If this comes to pass, I will expect you to take Lord Quavry’s place at the Assembly of Lords. Be sure that you are prepared for departure in the morning.”

“I would like to see the message myself,” declared Seneschal Shamino. “I must be sure of his treachery.”

“I understand,” nodded Lord Marak. “Marshal Patoga will arrange for you to inspect the bird and the message. This must be done with secrecy. I will not alert Lord Quavry to my knowledge of his plans.”

“I would be willing to just view the message after your people return to the mansion with it,” offered Shamino. “After many years as seneschal, I know Lord Quavry’s handwriting well. I will know if he has written the message.”

“You must see it when it is captured,” stated Lord Marak. “The message will not be returning to the mansion.”

“Not returning?” puzzled Seneschal Shamino. “I do not understand.”

“We have not discovered who our enemy is,” shrugged Lord Marak, “and I doubt that Lord Quavry will tell us even when he is confronted with his deceit. Our only option is to allow the message to get through to its intended recipient. We have made plans to engage the enemy when they strike at the caravan.”

“I see,” murmured the seneschal. “Very well. I will be ready for Marshal Patoga when he summons me.”

* * *

Mistake walked away from her horse and greeted some old friends that she had met on her last visit to Fardale. The diminutive Fakaran talked briefly to her friends and started towards the mansion. Suddenly, a voice pierced the air, and Mistake sprinted for the cover of a large tree.

“Misty?” called the male voice. “Misty come back. What are you doing here?”

Mistake had caught a glimpse of the tall blond stranger before seeking the safety of the tree. She was sure that she had never seen the man before, and her mind whirled with questions. As she heard the man coming closer, a knife slipped from its sheath on her arm and slid smoothly into her waiting hand. She looked around frantically for a path of retreat, but the area was far to open to slip away. Bravely, she stepped out from behind the tree, her knife rising menacingly as she faced her opponent.

“Not one step farther,” Mistake warned. “I do not know who you are, but I am sure that we have never met. How do you know who I am?”

The man stopped and his eyes narrowed as he stared at the petite thief. Finally he shook his head in confusion.

“I am sorry,” he apologized. “I mistook you for someone else. Now that I can see you clearly, I know that you are not MistyTrail, but you look an awful lot like her. You move like her, too.”

Mistake dwelled on the man’s last statement. She had never known that her swiftness was a product of magic until the mages at Fardale had told her. Now this man was saying that he mistook her for another. He had to be lying, or was he?

“Who is this MistyTrail?” questioned Mistake. “Who are you?”

The man held up his hands to indicate that he was not a threat. “I am HawkShadow,” declared the man. “I am Sakovan, and MistyTrail is a friend of mine. I mean you no harm. I will leave you in peace and apologize for my actions.”

“No, wait,” Mistake blurted out. “You didn’t tell me who this MistyTrail is.”

“She is a Sakovan like myself,” shrugged HawkShadow. “That is why I was surprised to see her here in Fardale. She should be back home guarding the Sakova.”

“And I look like her?” questioned Mistake.

“From a distance,” HawkShadow nodded. “Now that I am closer I can tell that you are not her.”

“And she moves like me?” probed Mistake.

“She does,” HawkShadow nodded as he gazed questioningly at the small Fakaran. “She moves faster than anyone I know. She is also an excellent knife thrower. I would appreciate if you would put that knife away.”

Mistake nodded distractedly as she slid the knife into its sheath. She reached into her pack and extracted her carozit. She held it upside down and watched as the balls fell. They did not swing down and touch each other as gravity demanded, but they also did not stand out at right angles to the stick as they always had in the past. Instead the balls hung at an angle between the two likely positions.

“How far is this Sakova?” questioned Mistake.

“It is several days of riding to the south,” answered HawkShadow. “I cannot be more accurate than that. What is that thing you are holding?”

“It is a carozit,” answered Mistake. “It is meant to help me find my family.”

“Your family?” echoed HawkShadow. “I doubt MistyTrail could be your family. If you were Sakovan, I would know you. What is your name?”

“Mistake,” she answered. “Some people call me Missy. Is that what you call this MistyTrail?”

“Close,” HawkShadow shook his head. “We call her Misty for short at times. They do sound alike. Now we know why both of us were confused. Do you live here in Fardale? I have not seen you around before.”

“No,” answered Mistake as she returned the carozit to her pack. “I am from Fakara. I am visiting Lord Marak.”

“As are we,” smiled HawkShadow.

“We?” asked Mistake. “Is the Star of Sakova with you?”

“No,” HawkShadow responded. “She was here, but she left last week. Just StarWind and I are left. You must know Rejji, the Astor?”

“We are good friends,” Mistake nodded. “I help him with everything he does in Fakara.”

“Then we have much to talk about,” smiled HawkShadow. “I would like to learn everything about Fakara that I can. Come. I would like you to meet StarWind.”

“I have not yet told Lord Marak that I have arrived,” Mistake shook her head. “I must deliver something to him first. Perhaps later you can tell me about the Sakova and MistyTrail.”