Ascendant (12 page)

The ridge to
the east of the valley was steep, especially at the top. At the top, there were
many large rocks clinging to the slope, in many places held in place by other
rocks. It started with a few pebbles slipping down the slope, then small rocks
clinking against each other as they fell. Small rocks coming down the ridge was
nothing new, the valley floor was littered with them. What was new, and would
have alarmed the enemy if they had known, were the very large rocks that were
swaying back and forth. The clatter of small rocks became a cascade, which now did
cause the enemy below to look up in curiosity, but it was too late. One giant
boulder, the size of a farmhouse, broke loose, and that started an avalanche.
With a terrible roaring sound, rocks slid, tumbled, rolled and bounced down the
slope, gaining speed as they fell.

Enemy troops,
dulled by sleep, staggered out of their tents, fumbling for weapons. Officers
were running around, shouting and kicking their men to get them to move, when
the first boulder smashed into the barricade, crushing the logs like a pile of
twigs.

While Paedris
had shaken the rocks loose from the ridge, he had not been able to control
where they fell, and most rolled down around the barricade, missing the main
encampment. In the dust, darkness and confusion, the enemy wizard held his
staff high, with an angry red glow from the tip of the staff illuminating the
valley. He had sensed no magic. Was this merely an accident, a rockslide caused
by the soggy ground being loosened by several days of rain? The wizard was
still gathering his senses, to search for a hostile presence around the valley,
when his mouth opened wide in terror, and he was surrounded by white-hot flame.
The flame burned hot, his staff burst into splinters, and pieces of the staff
scattered where he had been standing. When the flames were snuffed out, there
was no trace of the wizard.

Duke Yarron
put a steadying hand on Paedris
’
shoulder, as the court wizard swayed from momentary weakness.
“
Will you recover, Lord
Salva? That fireball must have taken much of your strength.
”

Paedris leaned
on his staff, catching his breath.
“
The
fireball was not the problem, it was the spell I concealed the fireball inside,
so the enemy did not see it until it was upon him. That sapped my strength.
”
He straightened up,
stretching his aching back.
“
I
’
m getting too old for
this. Moving those rocks took far more effort than I expected.
”

“
All my men, working
together, could not have moved the smallest of those rocks. Rest, Lord Salva,
my men and I can take the battle from here.
”
Yarron turned to look down the valley, where
his troops were advancing, now that the rockslide had ended. A jumble of rocks
lay where the barricade had been, but his men were making their way around the
boulders, using them as cover to send arrows into the massed enemy soldiers,
who were disoriented and fearful at the sudden death of their wizard.

“
Your men, yes.
You
stay here, Yarron. We did not come all this way so that LeVanne could be thrown
into turmoil by the death of its Duke.
”

Duke Yarron
bristled at the thought of not joining his men in battle, to wipe out the enemy
who had invaded his land. The wizard had no actual authority over him.
“
My eldest son-
”

“
Is old enough, certainly,
is he experienced? Acedor has been bold enough to attack the crown princess on
your land, and to set up camp here. Here, in your backyard. Who best to lead
LeVanne now, when the danger is so clear? You, or your son?
”

Yarron
’
s focus moved between his
men, the wizard, and back to his men. He spat on the ground in disgust.
“
Your words ring true, Lord
Salva, but it is not easy for an old warrior to stand aside, and let others do
the fighting for me.
”

Paedris patted
the Duke on the shoulder, and addressed him by his first name.
“
James, this is but a
skirmish, the war is coming, and coming soon. There will be much fighting for
all of us then. Save your strength, you will need it."

Yarron watched
as his men charged down the rocky slope to the valley floor. "Will I? Does
it matter, Lord Salva? In the long run, in my son's time, will it matter?"
He looked at the wizard sharply. "You can no longer see the future as you
once could, but your last vision showed the enemy's power is ascending-"

"Ascendant."
The wizard interjected. Paedris grew irritated when amateurs tried to use
knowledge that belonged only to wizards."

"-and
that our power, your power, will inevitably fade."

"It is
not written in stone, Yarron. The future can be altered. Even when we had the
ability to glimpse the future, it was only that, a glimpse. A flickering,
uncertain shadow, a mirage that is less distinct the closer you try to look at
it. If I knew exactly what the future held, our King Adric would be
alive-"

"Loathe I
am to speak ill of my distant cousin, but Adric died because he was foolish and
overconfident. You saw a future of death and destruction for the realm, and
because Adric listened to your council, our army was there to stop the enemy.
If Adric had listened to all of your advice, and the advice of his generals, he
would have survived the day."

"Perhaps.
That is my point, Yarron. The future is not written. Yes, the power of the
enemy is ascendant now, and we do not as yet foresee a way to victory. I do not
need fortune cards or magical spells to fight on in the face of the enemy's
growing strength, I have
faith
. Faith gives me strength, and it should
you as well."

"Mmm,"
Yarron grunted, pointing at the valley, where his men had routed the enemy and
were skirmishing with small groups of survivors. "I have faith in my own
men, Salva. That, and the power of our wizards."

"Fair enough,"
Paedris nodded. "Now, if you want to do something useful here, help me get
down there. My powers will, I fear, soon be needed to help heal the wounded.
”

“
You see, see it, on the
right there, the pointy tower?
”
Ariana gestured excitedly out the window of the royal coach. She was so eager
to point out sights to Koren that she was blocking his view. He knelt on the
cushion and stuck his head out the window, ignoring the disapproving frowns of
the royal guards.

“
The one made of dark grey
stone? That is where Paedris lives?
”

“
Yes, and that
’
s where you will live. My
rooms are over toward the left, see the white building with the red roof?
”

Koren didn
’
t know whether Ariana was
playing a trick on him. The castle was an immense building with battlements and
towers, encircling the top of a hill, with a city spread out all around. Koren
had never seen such a place. Still, he was somewhat disappointed.
“
I thought the royal palace
would be more grand, like-
“
Koren stopped when he realized he was insulting Ariana
’
s home.

“
No, silly,
”
the crown princess of Tarador
punched him playfully on the arm,
“
you
mean like in a fairy tale? It
’
s
a castle, a fortress, it was built a long time ago, when Tarador and Acedor
were one land. Before the war.
”
A frown passed briefly over the girl
’
s
face.
“
The
palace was built inside the castle walls, when the first king came to live
here. Don
’
t
you know anything about history?
”

“
We didn
’
t need to know history to
live on a farm.
”
Koren grumbled.

“
Well, you will simply have
to learn. I can teach you. The first king of Tarador was Dagon the First, of
course, he-
“

“
Ariana, stop hanging out
the window like a monkey, and don
’
t
bore Koren to death with the royal lineage.
”
Carlana ordered.
“
Koren doesn
’
t need to have his head
filled with useless facts to be Lord Salva
’
s
servant.
”

Koren took one
last look at the forbidding tower where Ariana said the wizard lived, then sat
back down on the plush cushion of the royal coach. He still could not believe
he was riding in the royal coach, with the crown princess and the Regent.
“
Pardon me, ma
’
am, I mean, Lady, I mean,
your Magnificence-
“

Carlana couldn
’
t help laughing.
“
Call me
‘
Your Highness
’
, Koren. Dukes and
Duchesses are
‘
Your
Grace
’
. Ariana
is
‘
Your
Majesty
’
, but
not until she becomes Queen, and not while she has bits of straw stuck in her
hair from hanging out the coach window like a wild monkey.
”

“
Yes, your Maj-Highness. Am
I really to live in the castle?
”

“
You are, Koren,
”
Carlana confirmed,
delighted to see the joy on the boy
’
s
face. Then, mindful of Paedris
’
warning not to let anyone know there was anything special about Koren, she
added,
“
Not in
the royal palace itself, of course. There are many servants living in the
castle; cooks, gardeners, maids, why, even the stable hands could be said to
live inside the castle walls, if they stretch the truth a little.
”
Carlana had been
reluctant to have Koren ride in the royal carriage with them, but Ariana had
raised such a fuss about it, and Koren was still sore from the wounds he
’
d received while saving
the crown princess, after all.

Koren relaxed
back against the cushions of his seat, grinning. There had been no feast in his
honor, and no knighthood, and no land granted to him, but whispered word of
Koren
’
s deeds
had spread anyway.
“
Fancy
me, Koren Bladewell, living in a palace. Why, my pare-
“
he had been about to say
that his parents would be proud, but of course, his parents didn
’
t care about him. He
caught himself quickly, and continued
“
-pair,
pair of shoes are the most expensive thing I
’
ve ever owned.
”
He lifted his feet to admire the fine
leather shoes Duke Yarron had given him, along with a complete set of clothes,
including a warm winter coat.

Carlana had
not been fooled by Koren
’
s
verbal trick, when he was about to say
‘
parents
’
, she had looked way out
the window, to avoid embarrassing the young man. When Ariana heard that Koren
had been abandoned by his parents, she had demanded her mother send soldiers
out to search for them. So far, there was no sign of Bodric and Amalie Bladewell,
and Koren
’
s
uncle Ander said he didn
’
t
know where Amalie
’
s
cousin lived. Carlana had made a few discrete inquiries about the Baron who
ruled Crickdon county, and learned the man cared little about the affairs of
his commoner subjects, unless such matters filled his purse with gold, or his
belly with food. And rumor had it that the Baron cared more about food than
gold. Carlana
’
s
heart went out to the boy, now all alone in the world.

Worse, she
couldn
’
t tell
him what Paedris had said, that Koren
’
s
reputation as a jinx was caused by his uncontrolled magical ability. The
stories Koren had told, of exploding beer vats, and broken waterwheels, Paedris
said were all manifestations of Koren exerting his will on the world, without
knowing what he was doing, or having any ability to control the result.
Truthfully, Carlana could not blame the people of Crebb
’
s Ford for wanting the
destructive boy out of their village before he caused any more damage. His
parents, however, Carlana could not forgive. Whether they believed their son
was a jinx or not, there was no excuse for abandoning an eleven year old boy in
the wilderness. Koren still thought of himself as a jinx, in fact, the boy had
been miserable when he warned Carlana about what a menace he was, and said that
it was best if he went away, before he hurt someone. Paedris, bless the old
scoundrel
’
s
heart, had laughed when Koren said he was a jinx, and announced such talk was
utter nonsense, and he should know, he was the most powerful wizard in Tarador!
Carlana wasn
’
t
sure Koren quite believed that he wasn
’
t
a jinx, but the boy had stopped talking about it.
“
I am sure you will enjoy
living with Paedris.
”
Carlana said quickly, to take the boy
’
s
mind away from his troubles.
“
Do
you know, there are chambers in Lord Salva
’
s
tower that even I have never been into?
”

“
Really?
”
Koren asked in surprise.

“
Really,
”
Carlana laughed.
“
I hear that old rascal has
spells blocking the doors inside the tower, and no one can enter unless he
gives permission.
”

“
Be careful in that tower, Koren,
”
Ariana pleaded,
“
it is old and dusty, and
sometimes there are strange lights and noises coming from there at night.
”
The girl shuddered.

“
I
’
m sure Lord Salva will
keep you safe, Koren,
”
Carlana added hastily,
“
as
long as you follow his instructions, and don
’
t go poking your nose into places you don
’
t belong.
”

“
Oh, no, your highness, I
would never do that,
”
Koren said, with a guilty little feeling in the back of his mind that, of
course he would go poking his nose around the wizard
’
s tower some day. Who
could resist such temptation?

“
You will come to the
palace, to visit me?
”
Ariana asked.
“
We
can have so much fun in the palace, and we have gardens, and stables for riding
horses, and lots of games-
“

“
And much for you to learn,
young lady, if you are ever going to rule this land.
”
Carlana scolded.
“
There is a time for
learning and a time for play. Koren may come to visit you, when you are
finished with your lessons.
”

“
What about Koren? Doesn
’
t he need to learn, too?
”

Carlana couldn
’
t help the frown that
flashed across her face.
“
Lord
Salva will take care of Koren
’
s
education.
”
She clasped her hands on her lap to stop a cold shudder from running up her
spine. The wizard could not entirely be trusted. What plans he had for Koren,
Carlana didn
’
t
know, and was quite sure she didn
’
t
want to know. Better the boy didn
’
t
know, either.
“
What
Koren needs to learn as a wizard
’
s
servant is very different from what you need to learn as a crown princess and a
lady.
”

“
But, mother-
“

“
Don
’
t you 'but mother' me,
young lady. And I don
’
t
think Koren is really interested in learning heraldry, or court etiquette, or
needlepoint, now, is he?
”

All of that
sounded deadly boring to Koren.
“
Uh,
I don
’
t think
so, ma
’
am, I
mean, your Highness.
”
He sat back and looked out the window, the royal carriage was now passing
through roads in the outskirts of the city of Linden which surrounded the royal
castle. He had never imagined a city so big, never seen buildings bigger than
the Golden Trout back in Crebbs Ford. The Golden Trout looked like a
broken-down shack, maybe even a chicken coop, compared to most of the buildings
here, and they were only yet in the poorer outlying section of the city. People
were out in front of the buildings, enjoying the mid-day sunshine of a clear,
late autumn day, waving and cheering as the royal carriage went by, everyone
straining their necks to get a glimpse of the crown princess and the Regent.
Koren was amused to see the excited, then perplexed looks on people
’
s faces as they saw a boy
staring back at them from the shadows of the coach, and realized they had no
idea who this boy was. He waved back, at first gesturing enthusiastically, then
mimicking Carlana
’
s
restrained, refined wave of holding up her arm, and gently rotating her wrist.
The odd gesture was, he figured, some strange thing royal people did, like
having more than one fork at the table. Koren had survived the multiple-fork
test, the first night the royal party had stopped at a inn, by waiting to see
what other people at the table were doing, and not doing anything unless the Regent
or Ariana were doing it. For example, Koren noticed that royal people didn
’
t eat soup in any way that
made sense. The best way to eat soup was to hunch over the bowl, tilt it
towards you, and scoop it into your mouth. But no! Royal people, Paedris had
shown him, tilted the soup bowl
away
from them, and also tilted the
spoon away from them, so that the side of the spoon closest to them didn
’
t actually get any soup on
it. While Paedris had explained that technique ensured there was no soup to
drip off the near side of the spoon onto your fancy clothes, Koren thought it
was only good for ensuring that so little soup got onto your spoon with each
scoop, that the soup would be cold before you were done. Of course, since the soup
was served, not in a proper bowl, but instead in a shallow dish that held
barely two spoonfuls of soup, letting it get cold was not a problem.