Adventurers Wanted, Book 4: Sands of Nezza (30 page)

“Lord Taylor, I am Caftan of Pent,” said Caftan, stepping forward and bowing to Alex.

“And I am Shelnor of Ossbo,” Shelnor added with a bow of his own.

“Lords,” said Alex, returning their bows.

“Lord Hathnor has told us of your journey here and of the mission you are on,” Caftan said. “He and his men have all sworn that you are to be trusted and that you are a true friend of King Rallian, but this is not enough.”

“What more would you ask?” Alex asked.

“We would ask that you explain this illusion that you say Magnus has put on Lazar’s army,” said Shelnor. “Our scouts have seen the army and report that it is at least three times as large as our own. We know the scouts are truthful, so we must ask how you know that what they see is not real.”

“My friend the noble raven Stonebill has seen the armies of Lazar as well,” said Alex. “Stonebill is a wise bird and sees more than most.”

“But the illusion,” said Caftan. “Can you explain it to us? Can you show us how it works?”

“I can if you wish,” said Alex.

Both Caftan and Shelnor nodded, and Alex stood for a moment, focusing his thoughts. He bowed his head as he created an illusion, and when he looked up again, seven copies of his own form were standing in the tent next to him.

“By the ancients!” said Shelnor, stepping back in surprise.

“You now see eight of me,” said Alex, his voice coming from all seven copies as he spoke. “You see that each of my images can move about the tent easily enough, yet you know that there is only one of me here.”

As the images of Alex walked around the tent, he kept his mind open, controlling the illusion. He could also feel what the men in the tent were thinking. He was surprised when he realized that one of the men in the tent was a traitor.

“They all look so real,” Caftan said. “How can we tell which is real and which is an illusion?”

“These illusions cannot touch nor be touched,” Alex explained as he moved around the tent with his illusions. “They appear to be real, but if you watch closely, you will see that the illusions all carry a flaw.”

Alex continued to move his duplicates, using them to search for the traitor he knew was there. He looked into the thoughts and feelings of the men around him, and it only took a few minutes for him to find the traitor in the company.

“My lords,” the traitor said slowly as Alex watched him. “This magic is meant to confuse us. This wizard can make it appear that there are eight of him, but that does not mean that Lazar’s army is using the same trick.”

“Yes,” said Caftan nodding. “You have a point, Stephan. Tell us, Master Taylor, what is the flaw you speak of?”

“If you look, you will notice that none of the illusions leaves tracks,” said Alex with a smile. All of his images smiled as well. “And I can tell you something more—something that has nothing to do with the illusions Magnus has made.”

“And what is that?” Shelnor asked.

“There is a traitor here with you,” said Alex. “Even now he is thinking of how he can betray you, how he can destroy me, and what he will gain once Lazar’s army has its victory.”

“A traitor?” said Caftan in surprise. “Name the man. We will judge if you speak truly.”

“As you wish,” said Alex, moving his images as he spoke.

The copies of himself formed a circle around Stephan, and Alex stepped forward to close the final gap in the circle. Stephan looked shocked but not completely surprised. Alex could see his mind clearly: he was full of anger and regret. His mind was racing, working out a way to prove his own innocence, a way to convince Caftan and Shelnor that Alex was a liar. Alex also saw what he would need to do to prove that he spoke the truth, so without hesitating he did it.

The illusions vanished like a mist, and Alex stood alone, looking Stephan in the face.

“Do what your master commanded you to do,” said Alex with a taunting smile. “Do what Lazar is paying you for.”

It happened in a flash. Stephan’s anger took control of him. He stepped toward Alex, drawing a short dagger from inside his tunic as he moved. He aimed for Alex’s heart, thrusting the dagger forward with all his strength and causing Alex to take a few steps back as the blow fell.

“Die, wizard!” screamed Stephan, a wild look in his eyes.

“Not today,” said Alex, magically pushing Stephan back and binding him where he stood. “You have sold your honor, Stephan. Was it worth the price?”

Hathnor had jumped up in horror when Stephan had attacked and was desperately trying to draw his sword with his wounded arm.

“Calm yourself, Hathnor. I am fine,” Alex said.

“Lord Taylor,” Caftan shouted, rushing forward to see if Alex was all right.

“Have you been injured? Should we send for help?” Shelnor added, rushing up to Alex’s other side.

“No harm has been done,” said Alex. “The assassin’s blade did not go in.”

“By the ancients,” said Shelnor, picking up Stephan’s dagger. “The blade is bent, as if it were struck on an anvil. What magic is this that protects you?”

“Not magic,” said Alex as he fingered the hole in his shirt. “I do not rely on magic alone to protect me from the evil of men. Let me show you.”

Alex unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it back, revealing the true silver mail he wore underneath. Caftan and Shelnor both looked at him in wonder. At the sight of the mail shirt, Hathnor laughed, dropping back onto his chair.

“Your pardon, Master Taylor,” said Caftan. “Stephan is one of my men. I never would have thought him capable of treason.”

“Such an attack should never have happened in our tent,” Shelnor said at the same time.

“Lords,” said Alex, holding up his hands to quiet them. “No harm has been done, and the traitor has been revealed. There are more important things to discuss, and the matter of trust to be cleared up.”

“No question of trust,” said Caftan. “King Rallian has sent word that he trusts you, so I will trust you as well.”

“As will I,” Shelnor added.

“Very well,” said Alex. “Lazar’s army is still on the move, and unless I miss my guess, they will not arrive until late tomorrow. The next morning, whoever is in charge of Lazar’s imaginary army will want to talk with you.”

“Why?” Caftan asked.

“They think you will be fooled by Magnus’s illusion. They will ask for your surrender, or that you fall back and leave the gap to them,” said Alex. “Naturally, they will think that you will submit to their wishes. They might even ask you to join them and fight against Lord Talbot’s army.”

“We would never betray Talbot,” said Shelnor in a firm voice. “Better to die a hundred deaths than to betray a friend and kinsman.”

“Yes, well, you will have to act like you’re considering the offer,” Alex continued. “Rallian and Talbot are moving across the mountains even now so they can come up behind Lazar’s army. We need to delay Lazar’s army long enough to give Rallian and Talbot time to move into position.”

“Ah, yes, a cunning plan,” said Caftan.

“Yes, we will hold them in check until the trap is ready to spring,” said Shelnor, nodding his head.

“When the king is close, I will summon a fog,” Alex said. “The fog will hide Rallian’s army, and Lazar’s army won’t know they are surrounded.”

“And when all is ready, you will remove the fog and break the magic of the cursed Magnus,” Caftan finished.

“An excellent plan,” Shelnor added. “However, if there are ten thousand men in this army, we will still need to be careful. Lazar has at least twice that number under his command, and some of the inner kingdoms may choose to join him. Lazar holds several young lords as hostage, after all.”

“Seven,” said Alex, remembering what he had heard.

“Yes,” said Caftan, surprised. “Lazar has taken lords from the other six inner kingdoms as hostages. He also holds Rallian’s cousin Jorell as a hostage. He has spread the rumor that they are all off on some quest, but we know that is a lie.”

“One of the lords was Rallian’s cousin?” Alex asked, troubled.

“You speak as if they were already dead,” said Shelnor. “Have you heard of these young lords?”

“They will not be seen in Nezza again,” said Alex. “Magnus sent them to the western desert as prisoners, and that is where they met their end.”

“A sad tale,” said Caftan.

“If it is true, the inner kingdoms will want their revenge,” Shelnor observed. “They will not fight for Lazar if they know their lords have been killed.”

“But we have no way of letting them know the truth,” said Alex. “At least not right now. I think, however, that time is growing short for both Lazar and Magnus.”

“Time grows short for us all,” Caftan observed. “We have much that needs doing before Lazar’s army arrives.”

“And Lord Hathnor needs to be moved,” said Shelnor, glancing toward the injured lord. “I would not want him so close to the battlefield when he cannot defend himself.”

“I will not leave until the king orders me away,” said Hathnor, trying to get to his feet.

“Rest,” said Alex, pushing Hathnor back down with the word. “Hathnor will be safe enough. The men who traveled with us will protect him from harm.”

“It seems that you did that on your journey here,” said Shelnor.

“Yes,” said Alex. “I did what was needed. I brought Hathnor to you so he could deliver the message of the king. Now I will do more. What work is there that needs to be done before Lazar’s army arrives?”

Caftan and Shelnor were surprised by Alex’s offer to help and were reluctant to put him to work. Alex insisted, and Caftan and Shelnor explained that they were building a wall to protect at least part of the gap of Luthan.

“If we can block off part of the gap with a wall, we can force Lazar’s army into a smaller space,” Caftan explained.

“When our scouts reported that the army was three times the size of our own, we thought it best to narrow our front as much as possible. It would not do to let Lazar’s army attack us from the front and the side,” said Shelnor.

“A wise plan, but hardly needed,” said Alex. “Still, it would be best to make the appearance of being prepared. Can you have someone lead me to the wall you are making?”

“As you wish,” said Shelnor.

“There is another matter that we must resolve first,” said Caftan. “Stephan has shown himself to be a traitor and has made an attempt on your life. He has done this in the tent of his lord and brought dishonor on myself and Lord Shelnor.”

“You would be within your rights to claim his life now,” said Shelnor, glancing from Alex to Stephan.

“And you must name the terms for reclaiming our honor,” Caftan added.

“You are honorable men,” said Alex, looking both Caftan and Shelnor in the eyes. “I see you will serve King Rallian well. I have no claim on your honor and hold you both blameless for what Stephan has done.”

“You are most kind, Master Taylor, but the matter of honor is an ancient custom,” insisted Shelnor.

“I understand,” said Alex. “Has Stephan served you long, Lord Caftan?”

“For many years,” said Caftan sadly. “I would not think it possible for him to turn traitor. I would not have believed it if I had not seen it for myself.”

“Stephan,” said Alex, turning to face the attacker, who was still bound by his spell. “What did Lazar promise you for your betrayal? What price did you set on your honor and the honor of your lord?”

“The price was not what you think,” Stephan answered as tears began to run down his face. “I would not sell my honor for silver or gold, or for the promise of lands that were not my own.”

“What, then?” Caftan questioned angrily. “What price did you place on your honor and my own?”

“My family,” said Stephan.

“You . . . you have no family,” said Caftan, a puzzled look on his face. “You have no wife, no children—no one.”

“What you say is true, my lord,” answered Stephan, trying to wipe his face but unable to move because of the binding spell Alex had put on him. “But I have a brother and a sister who both live in Lazar’s kingdom. It was for their lives—and the lives of their children—that I sold myself to Lazar.”

“He speaks the truth, Lord Caftan,” said Alex. “I hear it in his words, and I can feel nothing but sorrow for him.”

“You should have told me of your family. I would have sent for them. I would have brought them to Pent,” said Caftan.

“I should have, but I did not,” said Stephan. “Forgive me; I meant no disrespect. Lazar knew of my fear for my family and ordered me to speak to no one of our bargain. I did only what I had to do.”

“Master Taylor, what do you wish us to do with him?” Shelnor asked.

“Hold him for now,” said Alex. “I will not judge him for what he has done. King Rallian must decide his punishment.”

“Yes,” said Caftan. “He must face the king’s justice. That is what we are really fighting for now.”

“And what price will you ask of us to restore our honor?” Shelnor questioned.

“I have already said that I hold you both blameless,” said Alex, holding up his hand to prevent Caftan or Shelnor from speaking. “I understand this debt of honor, and I know that I must ask a price. I will ask one silver coin for each soldier in your army. How say you, lords of the north?”

“A small price for honor,” answered Caftan.

“And an honorable request in its kindness,” added Shelnor.

“Then it is settled,” said Alex. “Now, we have work to do. We can discuss payment and other details after our work is done.”

Caftan and Shelnor both agreed and ordered that Alex be led to the wall that was being built. Alex left Hathnor in their care, promising to return when his work was finished. The man who had led Alex and the others to the camp now led Alex back to his horse.

“The wall is hard work for the men,” the captain told Alex as they rode away from the tents. “Warriors are not great builders, but we do what we can.”

“How should I address you?” Alex asked in reply.

“I am Talus, captain of Lord Shelnor’s guards,” said the man in a proud voice.

“Well then, Talus, I must ask your forgiveness,” said Alex. “Earlier today, I spoke quickly and without thought. I was worried for my friend Hathnor and troubled by the coming war. I am sorry that I spoke so sharply to you.”